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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29414580">Frayed Knots</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/azure_frost/pseuds/azure_frost'>azure_frost</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Frayed [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>2012?? also needs a hug, 2018 kids are stable and a bit concerned, Angst, Angst/Comfort, Angst/Fluff, Another Crossover, Crossover, Discord told me to take out the angst/comfort tag, Growth, I swear, Not a normal crossover fic, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Freeform, also I love ☄conflict☄, apparently the tag should be comfort if you squint, because there are never enough, both shows are equally fantastic for different reasons, but there is more to the story then them just being bros, mainly its the bros tho, no relationships - Freeform, okay ngl it sorta is pretty basic in the beginning, the playlist gives the vibes for this story btw, wait no there is an implied one</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:42:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>61,942</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29414580</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/azure_frost/pseuds/azure_frost</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Leo thought he and Donnie had the situation under control. It was just a little portal, a fun experiment, but then said experiment attempted to kill the 'disaster twins' so maybe he was just a teeny bit overconfident in their skills. However, when the portal spits out four turtles- four turtles who seem rougher, older, more worn down- Leo starts to regret ever using the katanas as pizza cutters.</p><p>Clearly they did not appreciate his treatment of them and decided to make his life as hard as possible by dumping four emotional damaged turtles into his hands.</p><p>__________</p><p>Arc Two coming May 14</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Donatello &amp; Leonardo &amp; Michelangelo &amp; Raphael (TMNT)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Frayed [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2191851</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>256</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>497</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Portal Issues</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've always wanted to write this crossover but wasn't sure how to go about it. Finally, I came across with an idea while listening to Eleanor Rigby and thus this fic was born. I do have to admit, the 2012 boys are a bit out of character. They're a bit rougher around the edges, and this is set a few months after defeating Shredder, I can not be the only person who wasn't a fan of season five. Regardless, I do hope you enjoy this fic, even if the 2012 boys are darker then we remember.  I also want to mention that I always hc that the Rise boys' weapons respond to emotions and act like their own entities sometimes. I mean, they were made using the boys' inner essence so essential their spirits and would probably reflect that. And y'know/ Mikey used to have a fire demon vibing in his so-</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The room explodes with blue light, the air crackling with energy and sending Leo's instincts on overdrive. He didn't understand the science behind Donnie's tech, but he did understand that white lightning was generally not a good sign, especially when that lightning managed to strike actual surfaces and explode one of Donnie's battle shells. Leo shields his head from the purple metal shrapnel raining down from the explosion, ducking as a bolt goes over his head and hits the door. His katanas hummed above the circle of blue light Donnie had fabricated, the source of the bolts trying to kill the two twins. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh, Donnie, do you want to consider shutting the machine off?!" Leo yells over the noise, his brother furiously typing on his computer, shoulders tense under the battle shell as coding scrolls across the screen. Leo couldn't decipher what he was typing, but he could tell his brother's feelings just by looking at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie was scared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a good idea in the beginning- ever since accepting that magic and tech can work together and even improve each other, Donnie had asked to use Leo's katanas to see if he could make a portal machine that doesn't require his blades. If it worked, his brothers would be able to use it during times of emergency where Leo may be missing or out of commission. Of course, Leo would always be the first option, but back-up plans were important and he felt better knowing that if he wasn't there to get them out, they could have their own exit plan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>However, his katanas were being little shits today and causing more issues than solutions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm trying- it's not responding!" Donnie yells back. Leo sees it coming before Donnie does, his brother focused on the screen and not his surroundings as a blue strike sparks up and towards him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo scrambles back up to his feet, racing towards Donnie to tackle the soft shell to the ground and slide them away from the computer, his shell impacting the wall so that Donnie stays protected. The blue spark hits the computer milliseconds after they move, Donnie covering his head when the computer explodes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo feels a pang of pity at the destruction in the lab- it's only been a few weeks since the attack from Shredder and losing their original home. Donnie had spent hours trying to recreate his lab in the new section of the sewer they called home, and his slow progress was being destroyed within seconds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I knew this was a bad idea," Leo states mournfully, Donnie somehow able to punch his chest in the midst of the destruction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You NEVER said that, you actually encouraged it!" Donnie reminds him, waving an accusing finger in his face, "so shut up." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo pushes his finger out of his face, the twins always able to bicker even in the face of death, "c'mon Mr. Smart Guy, we'll be safe under that table," he suggests, tilting his head in the direction of an overturned table that was a few meters away. The pair crawl over, keeping an eye out for any bolts sent their way, but the blue electricity seems focused on electronics. The table obscures most of Leo's view of the portal, but he swears that the bolts have taken on a purplish hue versus the blue he often sees. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Guys!" Leo hears Raph call, the slider sticking his head above the table to see his older brother in the open doorway, eyes wide at the destruction as he scans the room worriedly. Mikey hangs off his shell, head peeking over his shoulders to also look around nervously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We're fine, stay outside!" Leo yells back, just as a purple bolt strikes above the door, Mikey squealing in shock as Raph slams the door shut. Another bolt strikes right where they were just standing, "how long is this thing going to freak?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't know!" Donnie responds, throwing his hands up in annoyance, "clearly it's off doing its own thing now and <em>destroying my lab</em>! Did you do something stupid with your weapons lately?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Like what, cut some pizza with them?" Leo says, but glances away at Donnie's accusing glare, "I couldn't find a knife! How was I supposed to know they have a thing against pepperoni pizza!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You <em>cut</em> your pizza with your <em>mystic weapon</em>?" Donnie hisses, Leo rolling his eyes at the condescending look on his face, "are you stupid? You know your weapon reacts to respect and control, and you <em>sliced pizza with them</em>?!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What, am I supposed to apologize?!" Leo argues back, ducking as an arc flashes over their heads. This one was most definitely purple, Leo concerned that the blue shifting to a different colour was a bad sign. Shredder destroyed his odachi and the thought of losing his katanas was heartbreaking. They may not fully respond to him like he wanted, but there was a bond there that ran deeper than just a tool and wielder, "you don't think they'll break, right?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie's face softens a bit at hearing how small Leo's voice had gone, "they're mystic weapons and took down Shredder. I'm sure this is just them being dramatic- you know, like how you are." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We could die, is that really what you want your last words to be?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As if hearing Leo's words, the room crackles with an explosion of energy, striking out at many surfaces and releasing a high pitched squeal, white light flooding the room and temporarily blinding Leo. As he rubs his eyes and winces, he realizes that everything just... stopped. There was no more noise, no more crackles, it was like nothing ever happened. However, looking around the room showed that the portal was definitely a bad idea. Scorch marks raced up and around the brick walls, ashes littering the ground and tech shattered into pieces. Purple metal glinted like diamonds across the lab, the pieces belonging to three battle shells and Donnie's computer. From the corner of his eyes he could see Donnie looking around the room with a blank stare, analyzing the damage and probably trying to calculate how long it would take him to fix it all. Leo remembered how heart broken he was after Shredder demolished his tech in front of him, it took him ages to rebuild, only to watch it get destroyed all over again when Shredder came back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It probably wasn't any easier this time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Holy shell, are you guys okay?!" Raph asks suddenly, slamming the door open and racing into the room, eyes scanning Donnie and Leo for any wounds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh please like a little lightning could take me out," Leo responds easily, waving off Raph's concerns, "just an average day for the mutant ninja turtles who are teenagers." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We really got to work on that name," Donnie mutters half-heartedly, picking up one of the many jagged metal pieces, "... it's gonna take a while to fix everything." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We'll help, don't even worry about it," Leo swears, draping an arm around Donnie's shoulder in comfort. He doesn't shake him off like he usually does. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey was still by the door, but his eyes were as wide as saucers as he stared at something on the ground, whatever his attention was on obscured by the fallen computer, "um... what about these guys?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie shares a look with Leo, both equally confused until they get close enough to look over the computer screen, Leo for the first time ever not having a joke to say. Lying on the ground, and apparently unconscious, were four other turtles, all wearing the coloured bandanas Leo had started to associate with the Hamato brothers. They all appeared to be box shell turtles- like Mikey- but lacked the circular patterns that dotted Mikey's green skin. Instead they were just... flat in appearance. Boring in a way compared to the four awake turtles. Leo finds himself already jumping into medic mode, scanning for injuries they may have sustained and not totally absorbing the fact the portal spit out four turtles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thank God for Donnie. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Dude, I think we opened up the multiverse."</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Puzzle Pieces</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So I usually do weekly updates but then realized that the first chapter was short and only the 2018 guys, so here's chaoter two early so you can see how the 2012 characters will most likely act :) I would like to specify that Rise is set AFTER the series finale, and 2012 is set AFTER season four, not season five.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The first thing Leonardo feels is the sharp sting radiating from his nose, spider webbing across his face to knot between his eyes. He couldn't recall what exactly caused the injury, the pain drawing a groan from his throat as he wearily opened his eyes, squinting to see in the dark room. His gaze narrows in on some rectangle standing erect in the room, two katanas resting on either side and throwing off blue sparks from the tips like a sparkler. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Right, he got hit in the face by a table when Donatello's portal went haywire and sucked them all up, Leonardo distantly remembering that he was trying to cover Michelangelo and only received a smack in the face for thanks. Hopefully Raphael didn't see that or else he would never live it down. The third thing he noticed when he lifted his hand to his face was that he was 2D again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><em>Fan-fucking-tastic.</em> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello's 'little' portal experiment was not as little as he claimed and they once again have travelled realities. If he hears ANYONE saying Turtle Power around him again, he'll lose it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Last time they were relatively safe, but he couldn't trust that this universe has their counterparts or if they were even on the good side. According to Donatello, any universe he can imagine exists, which means there's a universe where they were raised by the Shredder instead of Splinter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And another universe where they weren't turtles, but that one hurt his head a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once his other sense restarted, he started to pick out sounds, not wanting to rush up and lose the element of surprise. As much as he wanted to check on his brothers, he also wanted to see what he could find out just by staying quiet. People reveal a lot when they think no one is listening. From the sounds of it, there were four unrecognizable voices, all of whom were bickering quite loudly, not caring of who may hear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How was I supposed to know that cutting pizza with them would make them suck up and spit out another version of us?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't know, maybe the fact your katanas tend to respond strongly to respect and confidence and you used it to cut pizza." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Donnie, eat shit, you're the one who built this thing." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You agreed to give me your weapons- this is your fault as much as mine!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Stop swearing, look we'll wait for them to wake up and have a conversation, if they're us like you think, then maybe they like the same things as us? They'll probably be panicking, waking up in a different universe, so we should probably heat up some water for like... tea." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Tea?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Leo likes tea, maybe their Leo likes it too! I don't know, I'm not good under pressure and you know that! Mike, do we still have pizza leftovers in the fridge? Maybe they like pizza too." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Pizza and tea, that's your idea?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Leo, if you have an issue with it, make up a better idea since you're the leader now." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh God not this again-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That wasn't MY idea-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <em>Leader now? </em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That statement ringed in Leonardo's mind. Was the Leonardo here... not leader? If he wasn't the leader, then who was? The next best option would probably be Donatello, but his brother lacked the confidence needed to lead all the time and handle the burdens, on the other hand Michelangelo and Raphael made even less sense. However, based on the arguing, their counterparts seemed harmless enough. Their first thought was to give them pizza, clearly they weren't worried about them being evil. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That didn't mean he trusted them- he would keep his guard up for now until he's sure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pushing himself up, he turns his head to face the voices, their shells to them as they talk amongst themselves. Harmless and slightly stupid- amazing. But, no one said turtle power yet, so maybe this universe was slightly better. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was surprised to see that they didn't look anything alike, all three different species. The middle one, who he assumed was Raphael because of the red mask, was easily seven feet, towering over the other two. With his massive size and spiky shell, Leonardo didn't want to think about how much his punches must hurt. If he had a temper like his Raphael, that could end in a lot of nasty injuries. Their Leonardo looked more annoyed then leader-like, arms crossed and shoulders hunched as Raph continues to talk about him now being leader. Clearly it was a hard topic and one Leonardo wasn't a fan of hearing. His hilts were also empty- the katanas on the portal must belong to him. The last one must be Donatello considering how... purple the kid was. Unlike his brothers who had their shells exposed, his was hidden under some metal contraption, the purple matching that of the shards littered on the ground around him. His face was drawn into a tight frown, eyes unfocused as if thinking through a problem. A quick glance showed that the problem was probably the destruction around them, all the tech in the room demolished into pieces. If his Donatello was in the other Donatello's position he would definitely be freaking out over the lost tech. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"As much as I love these classic Leo-Raph fights, can we put this whole leader debate on hold," their Donatello interrupts, gaze flickering between their Leonardo and Raphael, "somehow a trans-dimensional portal just opened up in my lab and spit out four turtles that we are assuming are us. Can I remind you that in every Jupiter Jim movie with clones, the clones are always evil, what if these guys aren't friendly." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We took down Shredder like two months ago, I'm not worried about losing to these guys," their Leonardo says lamely, "besides do they even count as clones? They don't look like us, we're cooler." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I really hope their Leo is smarter than you." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Donnie, I'm going to kick your ass-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Enough! Leo did you check their pulses?" Raph intervenes before the two can actually fight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, they all have one, all within range. No notable injuries either, and their pupils were reactive. Probably will get shaken up when they wake up and I'll want to do a full assessment since they hit the ground hard, but I think they're fine enough," he answers, turning to face them on the ground, "oh, cool, their 'smarter' Leo is up." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wait, what?!" Their Raphael exclaims, spinning to face him, their Leonardo leaning to the side to avoid the spikes from his shell. His posture was still relaxed however, like he wasn't worried that the action was on purpose, "oh, wow okay, so-" he begins awkwardly, tapping his fingers together. Silence grows as Raphael clearly has no idea what to say, Leonardo looking between the three brothers to see if any of them looked prepared to attack. So far their stances seemed harmless, none of them reaching for their weapons or settling into fighting position. If they distrusted them, it wasn't shown. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The swelling silence is broken by his Michelangelo groaning, rolling to his side to relieve the pressure on his shell from his landing. A hand goes to his face and he blinks at the limb before sitting up and looking around, eyes latching on Leonardo, "we're 2D again!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's your first observation?" Leonardo questions, Michelangelo shrugging and leaning back with a sigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, I hate being 2D," he whines like a child, "plus this is like... the second time we've done this. It's no longer exciting or anything." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Not the reaction I was predicting, but it's better than the screaming I had in mind," their Donatello mumbles, nudging a metal piece with his foot. It screeches against the ground and he frowns, looking away from the shredded metal in discomfort, "this is your second time?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, but the last time they said turtle power every 20 seconds, I hope that isn't the same here," Michelangelo complains, clearly not worried about their counterparts being evil, "anyways I heard something about pizza?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their Raphael blinks, slightly taken aback by how easily they got over the trans-dimensional travel, "um, yeah, Mikey is heating it up downstairs right now. I think we have pepperoni and meat lovers?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo hums in understanding, but doesn't move from his spot, attention now focused on Raphael and Donatello who were yet to wake up, "should we hit them or something." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Do you want Raph to kill you," Leonardo states dryly. As if hearing the conversation, Raphael shakes awake, also groaning loudly as he sits up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I hate portals, I don't care the pros Donnie has for them, they've never worked in our favor," Raphael mutters, eyes falling on the three other turtles, "great, this universe is 2D." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo frowns at how calmly the other three turtles were handling the situation. Their Raphael seemed rather tense and nervous, but Donatello and Leonardo were acting like it was an ordinary Tuesday or they've seen weirder things before. Have they done dimensional travel as well? If so, that may work in their favor. If they have experience with it, they may be able to make a portal very quickly and his family could leave right away instead of wasting more time here. With Shredder gone, their big bad guys have dropped significantly, but he didn't like the idea of being away from patrol for so long- plus how would the rest of their friends react to them suddenly vanishing? Hopefully April will be able to figure it out, but that seemed like a bit of a long shoot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You guys are taking this pretty calmly as well," Leonardo remarks, remembering Donatello's statement about them not screaming, "has this happened before?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Trans-dimensional stuff? No, this is all a first," their Leonardo responds, "but after learning that there's a secret civilization under New York filled with mystic magic, nothing really surprises us anymore." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"There's a secret civilization under New York?!" Michelangelo exclaims, sitting up straighter, "that's so cool, why don't we have that?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We've been to space numbnuts, that's enough not-earth places for me," Raphael reminds him, Donatello finally stirring awake, "well, good-morning sleeping beauty." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello does the same as his brothers, seeing his 2D hand first and groaning loudly, "did we-?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah," Michelangelo interrupts hurriedly, "That's not important, what is important is the fact there's pizza now, so I suggest, we eat, learn about... each other a bit. See the differences and things. And y'know. At some point we'll probably end up kicking some bad guys butt, and then the Donnie's will figure that... portal issue, and we'll be back to normal," he suggests, jumping to his feet and rocking on his heels, "any objections?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The remaining three brothers share a look, knowing that sitting around isn't totally feasible and it was technically lunch in their timeline, so eating didn't sound like a terrible idea. At worst, their counterparts try to kill them, at best they go home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo was willing to play the odds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><strong>《{•}》</strong> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo wasn't hungry, not really. Especially since he had his katanas back on his shell and they hummed angrily whenever he looked at pizza. Clearly using them to cut a piece was a bad idea, but no amount of apologizing was helping with the situation. He sincerely hoped that the portal thing wouldn't fully get blamed on him, but somehow it would. Maybe he could find a way to shift the blame, but for now he was stuck dealing with a lot of heated glares from different turtles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><em>Trans-dimensional travel. What the fuck.</em> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Outwardly, he was calm, he had to be. He was the face man. But on the inside? The concept of multiple realities was hurting his head more than he wanted to admit. Another glance at the pizza gave him another angry hum, so he decided to focus his attention on the new turtles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A quick round of introductions was all that happened so far- not even the Mikey's seemed all that excited to ask questions. It wasn't hard to see why- the other turtles looked older. Harder. All rough edges and guarded looks, muscles tense as if everything was a threat, such as eating pizza at a table. They all looked the same too, box shells, like Mikey, but less colourful. Everything about them was pointing towards soldiers, not... teenagers. One of them mentioned space- what have these turtles truly gone through compared to him and his brothers? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After the introductions, there came up the issue of them all responding to the same names- both Leo's looking up when his Mikey asked for the soda pop. The other turtles agreed to go by the full version of their names for now, something Michelangelo was not the biggest fan of as apparently 'they take so long to say'. One look from Raphael was all it took for him to shut up and pick at his pizza and that was Leo's first indication that things were very very different between them all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His family was a family. Their family... Their family seemed broken. He could see it in the way Michelangelo had shied away from Raphael's look, almost as if he was about to flinch. He could see it when Leonardo asked how soon the portal would be fixed and Donatello's face had pinched together as he looked away from his brother's accusing gaze, as if him testing things was discouraged back home in some way. He could see it in the way Donatello angled his tech away from Michelangelo, in the way Michelangelo had instinctively reached over to seek comfort from Leonardo only to pull his hands away at the last second. Everything about them seemed... off. Like forcing pieces of a puzzle together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His gaze turned back to his family, where Mikey was sitting on Raph's shoulder because there were no more chairs, Raph leaning over to look at Donnie's computer while he tapped away at equations, providing quiet encouragement as he worked through the problems, and every so often Donnie's eyes would flit over to him in questioning concern, silently reminding Leo that this wasn't his fault and to ignore the other turtles who looked pissed about the situation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe he wouldn't shift the blame onto Donnie. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So are you the leader here too?" Michelangelo asks, baby blue eyes focused on Leo. The slider blinks, looking over to other Leonardo to see that yes, he did carry himself like a leader. Shoulders back, an aura of confidence around him, traits that Leo knew he needed, but was lacking in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's... confusing," Leo mutters, looking over at Raph to see what he would say. He left the answer vague, making it clear that it was Raph's decision to decide if he would claim the title around the new turtles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A slight pause, before Raph gives him a small smile, "not really. I was the leader of the Mad Dogs for a while- being the older brother and everything. But Leo took the title a few months back, after we won against Shredder." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You guys have a Shredder?" Raphael echoes back. The word sent a wave of anger and fear down the table, the Shredder in their universe clearly being just as bad as theirs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, had is the correct term," Donnie mutters, Mikey finishing off his pizza in one bite to probably try and sum up their story. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Right, our Shredder was this like... ten foot tall demon monster guy who possessed another guy a couple hundred years ago or something," he explains, spreading his arms wide to put emphasis on how big Shredder was, "with this thing called the dark armor. Anyways, our dad, Draxum, was using the Dark Armour for a while because he wanted to kill all the humans, but it turns out the Foot was using him and drained his life force so now Shredder was at full power and he went off to kill us like... five times until we stopped him the first time." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey takes a pause after Raph reminds him to breathe, giving Michelangelo a chance to ask about their dad, "Draxum is your dad? And he tried to kill the humans? What about Splinter?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For whatever reason, his remaining brothers look down at the name of their other dad, but before Leo can question it, Mikey continues the story, "Well, he mutated us using the DNA of the action star Lou Jitsu, who also was mutated into a rat, so now he's Splinter, and Draxum is a lunch lady, he helps us out a lot so we forgive him-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He still dropped me off a roof." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He apologized Leo," Mikey reminds him, waving a hand in his direction, "no more interruptions, I'm telling a story. So, after we defeat Shredder, Big Mama- a spider Yokai who is really scary- says she'll lock him up for us. Turns out she was lying like always and was using him as Shadow Fiend. After turning all of New York into a battle ring and making us fight with our enemies against her champions, she released Shadow Fiend and we found out it was Shredder and we had to fight him all over again and..." Mikey's voice slowly grows smaller as the story heads into the direction of Karai. The subject was something they talked about often to cope, but it was still sometimes hard to bring it up, "and we won." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Is your Splinter alive?" Michelanglo asked innocently, wincing as Raphael smacks the back of his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You can't just ask that!" He scowls, Michelanglo rubbing his head with a small frown. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo looks away, eyes turning to Raph to see the friendly titan looking very small, almost heartbroken at seeing how their Raph acts. It was probably reminding him of how he used to be- a shaking ball of anger that lashed out and smashed things at the slightest inconvenience. He learned to work through it as he got older, but seeing another Raphael acting like the old him was painful. Mikey must have noticed his discomfort because he pats the top of Raph's head and smiles down at him warmly, the snapper visibly relaxing at the affectionate action. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh, yeah. He's in the Hidden City today," Leo explains, pushing his plate of pizza away. He hands it over to Mikey when his younger brother makes the 'gimmie hands', "probably going down memory lane or something, but I'll bet all my money he's just with Draxum." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You don't have any money," Donnie reminds him, Leo shooting him a dirty look, "you asked about our Splinter as if you don't have one." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence swells again, Donnie's observation hanging thickly in the air. The other turtles refuse to meet anyone's eyes, Donnie releasing a soft 'oh', when he realizes his mistake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, um... your Shredder! Did you defeat him?" Mikey questions, trying to move the topic to some place else. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another moment of uncomfortable silence until Leonardo responds back with a sharp yes, making it clear there would be no more details about it, "how long until you fix that portal?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie looks up from his watch, stopping his typing for a second to manually think of an answer, "Uh... I'm not totally sure. Once I figure out <em>why</em> the portal operated that way, I can reverse the effects. Clearly mystic magic had a play on this so we might need help from Draxum." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"On my side, I was using alien tech, the Kraang?" Donatello explains, looking around to see if the last word made any sense to them. After receiving a couple of blank stares he deflates in his seat, "anyways, I'll help you out as much as I can. We don't have magic where we come from-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Renet." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"She's from the future Michelangelo, doesn't count," Donatello responds, annoyed at being corrected. Leo wants to ask who Renet is since Michelanglo seemed so excited about the name, but decided to keep the question for another time, "my expertise is more in the science and alien tech field, but since you don't have aliens, I'm not sure how much help I'll be." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie shrugs, "two Donnie's are always better than one." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Not true, remember that time you made us into Donnie's with your mind thing," Leo reminds him, jabbing a fork in his direction, "that didn't end well, did it? And what about Shelldon, isn't he a smaller version of you?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He was until you guys ripped up his circuits and screwed around with his coding," Donnie fires back, "Shelldon is our drone," he explains when he sees the confused stares in his direction, "he's been out of commission for a while though, I managed to save his AI chip but his body was demolished in the fight against Shredder. He's charging in my room at the moment." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wait, Shelldon is coming back?!" Mikey exclaims excitedly, leaning over dangerously far to be closer to Donnie. Raph sticks out a hand in case the box shell falls, but the youngest seemed balanced enough on his perch to avoid face planting, "I missed him." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, I found a power core-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie rambles off, Mikey shaking his head every few seconds as he listens intently to each word, Raph mainly focused on making sure Mikey doesn't suddenly go flying. Leo rests his head on his hands, watching his siblings interact as they normally would, giving Raph a thumbs up when he sends a questioning look his way for being uncharacteristically quiet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even though he was avoiding looking over at the other turtles, he could feel some emotions making their way through the walls they built up. Jealousy, anger, sadness- </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And a lot of regret.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading and all the supportive comments on the previous chapter! It really helps to motivate me to write so it means a lot! Until next time 🐢</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Donatello Can Fix It</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So midterms are next week for me, which means I'll be studying this week and unable to do the update on Saturday as I planned. Instead, I'm doing an early update instead of a later one. Someone had rightfully pointed out that the 2012 turtles seem meaner in a sense, or less brotherly like than they actually are. I promise you that will be explained later, I'm not trying to make the 2012 boys look like villains, but some POVs are from the Rise boys who aren't used to seeing relationships different from their own. So of course, Raph smacking Mikey hard is off-putting to them even though that's just Raph being Raph. Anyways, I do hope you all stick around and thank you so much for the sweet comments on the last chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Raphael wasn't sure what bothered him more in this universe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bright lights and vivid colours that hurt his eyes, a contrast to the layer of fog and grime that covered his own universe. A reminder of how dark his home was, like an ever constant lense that blotched out the sun. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How easily their counterparts got along, getting in each other's personal space and not hesitating to show affection with a hug or smile. There was no pain or trauma fraying the string that connected their hearts as brothers, unlike his family, their strong bond that strained and cracked after so many years of fighting to just... survive. Of sacrificing everything to just make sure they could see the next dawn. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annoyed that they still had Splinter, their father, while he watched his get torn open and thrown off a building, unable to do anything as Shredder finally won. Unable to do anything as Mikey held their father's hand, calling for him, as Donnie cried and Leo started getting more closed off and distant to handle the burden now placed on his already weary shoulders. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Angry that they were still happy. Carefree. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hopeful. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael looks away as Mikey still remains perched on Raph's shoulder like a bird, the youngest brother's eyes wide and bright, filled with that optimism and hope his own Michelangelo used to have before it too started getting dull under the constant darkness clinging to them. He couldn't remember the last time him and Michelanglo were that close together, the brothers openly showing affection. He distantly remembers holding Michelangelo as he cried following a nightmare after defeating Shredder, but after a while he stopped checking in on his brother. Every time he looked at him, all he could think about was how heartbroken he was calling for papa, Raphael knowing that if he was stronger, faster, Splinter never would've died. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was his fault Michelangelo had turned so dull. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo was pretty effective on making it clear that any talk about their Shredder and Splinter wouldn't be happening, and after that the colourful counterparts angled away from them and jumped into their own conversations, either out of respect of Leonardo's silent request or simply because they no longer wanted to speak to them. Either way, Raphael was fine with it. The less talking the better, it hurt his head just to look at the other turtles for so long- what was up with all the colourful markings and neon decals? It seemed counterproductive to blend into their surroundings, but he was starting to accept that maybe these kids weren't as serious about ninjutsu as his family was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Now what?" He demands, turning his shell to the other turtles. Leonardo frowns at his plate, and Raphael notes the way that all of them were looking at something other than the family across from them. Clearly it hurt them as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Do you think you can work the portal issue with their Donnie?" Leonardo asks, turning to face Donatello. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The purple turtle shrugs, resting his head in his hands, "depends on how smart their Donnie is. I'm starting to think they aren't as... serious as us. If their Donnie isn't at the same level as me, I'm not sure if we'll work well together, but I'll do my best." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't know dude, he has that cool metal thing on his back," Michelangelo points out, pointing a thumb behind him to gesture at his shell, "and a drone! He might be on par- how different is a drone from when you made Metalhead?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We won't know until I get into his lab and we start working," Donatello explains, "I hope April can figure out what happened to us, they might be able to fix up the portal on our side." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"With who? Casey? He'll probably smack it like a staticy TV and think it's fixed," Raphael snorts, thinking about his friends back home, "do you think they have an April and Casey here? Or even a Karai? They had a Shredder." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We can always ask!" Michelangelo reminds them all, but a shared look indicates that no, they weren't fond of asking. How different were they in this universe? Were they willing to risk getting hurt more by seeing their friends unhurt by trauma? April had lost her dad when they first met and Casey was fighting by himself, what if these versions didn't have to face those challenges and instead they met these turtles under circumstances not tainted by pain and loss. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Donnie," Leonardo calls down the table, the turtle in question looking up from his tablet and seeming slightly confused as if he suddenly forget that he made a trans-dimensional portal in his lab and managed to kidnap four turtles from another universe, "do you and Donatello want to check out your lab and see if you can work out this portal issue? And we haven't done training for the day, do you guys have a dojo?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Dude, we just jumped dimensions, are you seriously making us train," Michelangelo whines, but shifts into a pout at the pointed gaze sent his way. Raphael knew the training was just an excuse to be away from their counterparts as much as possible. If there wasn't some massive threat like last time where they had to work together, there was no reason to spend time around them and see what was once the past. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Doesn't dad have a dojo in downtown New York or something, April fought that crazy reptile school for it," Leo explains, throwing his hands out and spreading his fingers as if to emphasize how crazy that day was, "with that... Bradford guy and his Komodo Dragon dojo-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Strike fast. Strike hard. No Mercy!" Mikey crows, finally falling off Raph's shoulder with a screech and landing on his outstretched hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wait, Bradford? You guys have Rahzar? We also called him Dogpound though," Michelangelo exclaims, clearly forgetting that they wanted to avoid meeting any more counterparts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh, no our Bradford is old news," Leo continues to explain, "April defeated him in a fight and that was the end of him. We didn't even have to fight him. Did you guys deal with him more?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, he kidnapped me," Michelangelo explains smugly as if that was cool and not one of the most terrifying moments in Raphael's life. He honestly believed he lost his little brother that day, only to unfortunately learn that would be the beginning of many more terrifying moments, "I thought he was my friend, it was a pretty big mess." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Um... okay," Leo responds, sharing a look with his own brothers. From what Raphael could tell, they never experienced one of their own getting kidnapped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Lucky</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bitterness rolled up in Raphael's stomach only grew. They haven't been hurt like they have and it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>unfair</span>
  </em>
  <span>. A small part of himself felt bad for feeling this anger at people he didn't even know, but that was a very small part. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But in here we don't have a formal training ground," Leo states, "well, we do, we just haven't gotten around to fixing it up." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"... fixing it up?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>《{•}》 </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello looks into the dusty and bare room Leo had led them to after Leonardo asked about a dojo. It was sad to say the least, covered in cobwebs and a thin layer of dirt, indicating that time was not kind to the space. It looked like they planned on making it into a dojo- he could see a banner with the symbol of the Hamoto clan at the far end as well as some wooden weapons leaned up against the wall, but overall it looked more like a storage room then a place of respect. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo was clearly not happy with the state the room was in, always one to make sure the dojo was clean and well cared for, a spot of focus, growth and training. To see that theirs was poorly cared for probably wasn't the best idea after being dumped into a new universe where they were all... happier. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello found it unfair, but he wasn't going to mull over that. The kids were lucky to be untouched by the burdens his family went through and not forced to grow up so quickly- he was relieved in some small way to know that one universe still had them as they were in their earlier years. He missed those days. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, I have a lab to visit," Donatello exclaims, placing a hand on Michelangelo and Raphael's shoulders, "good luck with... Sensei Leonardo," he says, grateful that he isn't the one who has to deal with their older brother's frustration over the state of the training ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He can hear his brothers groaning and muttering complaints under their breaths, the pair knowing that even though this technically wasn't <em>their</em> home, Leonardo would still make them clean it up as he walks away to rejoin Donnie. The other turtle had pointed out his lab before they parted ways, telling him to meet him up there once he was ready. From what Donatello could see, their home was split into two levels. The kitchen, dining area and living room were all open and mixed together at the lower level, an easy flow between it all as fairy lights twinkle from above to wash the area in a soft glow, neon streaks of paint running up the wall disguising the fact this was an abandoned sewer site. The 'dojo' was also located in that lower section, hidden behind a chipped wooden door, a room beside it apparently 'off limits' when Michelangelo had attempted to peek around the heavy curtains. Splinter's room, Leo had explained before vanishing, Donatello seeing his blue bandana tails racing up to the second floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The second floor was home to their rooms, as clearly seen by the colour coded curtains. He could hear someone laughing loudly behind the orange curtain, a sound that hadn't been heard in their home for a while. Beside the purple curtain was an actual reinforced door- Donnie's lab. Based on the destruction he had last seen the room in, it would make sense to have some layer of protection between the tech and home. He was about to enter until he heard Donnie's voice drifting from behind Leo's room, the inside blocked by a blue curtain with some space astronaut hero on the front. If it was anything like Space Heroes, he wasn't surprised if the leader had some merch lying around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"-haven't cracked a single joke or pun since they've crashed here," Donnie says, Donatello hearing the middle of whatever conversation the two brothers were having, "so something is clearly wrong. Are you upset about Raph and the leader situation?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Right, Donatello had forgotten. Somehow in this world, Raphael of all people was made into their leader. That idea seemed ludicrous, Raphael had taken post in the few rare incidences when Leonardo was gone, but he could never imagine him being leader all the time. What would their plans even be? Smash whatever was in their way? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, it's not that it's..." Leo's voice trails off into a groan, clearly frustrated that Donnie wasn't understanding him, "they remind me of Big Mama." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You think they're secretly spiders." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No! I mean how you guys all thought Big Mama was on our side and then she turned on us! I don't know if you noticed, but they're nothing like us, and I don't trust that, so sorry if I haven't been as funny as usual." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Right, well, I'm actually the funny one according to papa, so I don't know why you're acting like you are. And they ARE us, Leo, we have the same names, same friends, same family." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But different stories and relationships! Did you not see the way their Mikey was reaching out for physical reassurance and <em>no one</em> noticed? He actually stopped himself- our Mikey never does that because he knows we'll always respond. This Mikey wasn't treated that same way, not for a long while anyways. They're also rougher, and angrier, and clearly they went through some big things that made them that way, I mean they lost their dad, Donnie. They can't be the most stable people." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence swells, and Donatello debates on entering the lab by himself, acting like he never heard the conversation between the two brothers. Did Michelangelo actually seek physical assurance? He doesn't remember him doing that, but apparently he stopped beforehand. It wasn't that long ago that Michelangelo had no problems with seeking comfort, but when was the last time he came to Donatello for company? A few months ago? Time was weird, melding together in Donatello's mind and he couldn't remember how long ago it was that they defeated Shredder. He honestly did not want to know. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I just don't want whatever happened to them to happen to us," Leo concludes, Donatello's chest tightening at his words. They've only been together for what, a few hours? And already Leo was so sure that they were broken. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But was he really wrong? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello hears shuffling in the room, probably Donnie about to leave so he ducks into the lab, closing it behind him and pushing the conversation out of his mind. Maybe he would try talking to Michelangelo later, he didn't like the idea of his baby brother being scared to ask for comfort. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello nudges a plastic shard with his toe to move it out of his path, the curved metal glinting in the neon purple lights lining the wall. Clearly this kid lived up to his assigned colour- everything in the room had a purple hue to it. His chair that was covered in soot and laying on it's side gleaming purple under the dirt, his smashed computer had a cracked violet shell, the shattered tech lining the black wall were varying shades of the colour, Donatello going closer to see if he could figure out what all the tech was. Michelangelo was right about the kid having a ton of equipment- more than the arsenal Donatello had spent ages building up. He wondered how his counterpart was able to get his hands on so many advanced circuit boards, but recognized the handy work as his own. The kid had built everything from scratch, maybe he was smarter than Donatello had labelled him to be. In the center, untouched by the destruction, was the assumed portal. It was purple as well (did this kid hate the rainbow or something) and rectangular, clamps on the side empty and where Donatello assumed Leo's katanas were. He never got around to asking details about the mystic metal, but now he was intrigued by how they made it. If he could figure it out, he could update his family weapons so they could get an upper hand in fights. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's the third time this year all my tech's been destroyed," Donnie suddenly pipes up, Donatello jumping and turning to see him in the doorway, "I thought repetition made things easier, but I'm still not used to it." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that- he couldn't imagine losing all his technology that frequent. Hell, the first time he made smoke bombs and watched his brothers waste them was bad enough, but to know that this kid has lost machinery and equipment so often couldn't compare. The parts were a mangled mess at the moment, but Donatello could tell in the handiwork that hours were poured into every fine detail. Losing it all within seconds over a portal freak out was something he didn't want to think about. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, let's get to work." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>《{•}》 </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello was slightly jealous to learn that Donnie was actually smarter than him in some fields. He wondered if this was how his brothers always felt when it went off on a tangent to explain something, only to get told to slow down or speak in English. It made him feel stupid- something he wasn't used to. Donnie didn't act like he had intentions of making Donatello feel that way, he just seemed like the type of person who got so rolled up in explanation and words that he failed to realize that his audience may not be able to keep up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That, or he assumed that they were at equal intelligence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a few hours of working and fixing up some of the destroyed tech, Donatello was finally able to wrap his head around some of the concepts Donnie was rambling off. He was still sure that the portal was less science and more mystic however and suggested that they don't move forward or try anything until Draxum is around to help. In the few instances where words were exchanged over the sound of banging metal and crackling electricity, Donatello was able to learn more about how things operated in this universe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unlike his universe where science could explain almost everything, mystic magic seemed to be the trump in this land. Their weapons were made out of their own personal essence, granting each of his brothers a specific ability, however there were drawbacks to using mystic arts, as seen with the glitched portal. Mystic energy responded to inner emotions and souls, how weapons reacted in fights depend on the wielder. Any doubt on abilities, and they may not operate as the wielder required. It was a mutual give and take and apparently something Donnie wasn't a fan of in the beginning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn't reliable, it was a tangled web of theories and beliefs and it clashed with science in every way. It went against everything Donatello enjoyed about science- science was easy, measurable. It was numbers and math and could be studied and improved. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mystic magic was a hot mess. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie, however, found balance in the linear line of science and web of magic, able to wield both to his advantage, something he showed when he used a crystal to power up one of his battle shells versus a normal power core or engine. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Donatello asked about his battle shells, Donnie had looked slightly uncomfortable, angling away from the other genius' questioning eyes. He was a soft shell, missing the protection every other turtle had. He had to adapt to that disability, and the best way was through technology. From that point, technology was his solution to every set back he faced, and how he added magic to his arsenal. Donatello found it admirable. Most people would accept that they couldn't do something or that they were lesser, but Donnie refused to fold and found a way to rise above. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It didn't take long for Donnie to start directing questions at him however, and Donatello realized that he had to answer. After all, they were the same person. He knew that Donnie would not stop until he got what he wanted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You guys avoided going into detail about Shredder, why?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello ducks his head closer to the metal he was welding, trying to shield his face from Donnie's prying eyes, "it's hard to talk about things after a while. Don't act like Mikey didn't expertly leave out a few key details in your story though," he reminds his counterpart, recalling how the smaller turtle had trailed off suddenly and stopped the story, "We won that's all that matters." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah? And what about Splinter." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ah. There it is</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He knew the question was coming- he was speaking to a Donatello. It didn't matter how uncomfortable the question may be, if he wanted to know, he would ask. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shredder killed him in front of us," Donatello answers bluntly, refusing to look up from his machine, "I watched his body fall from the top of a building and I couldn't do anything to save him." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I wonder if mystic magic could have saved him. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"... Mystic magic doesn't bring back the dead, we tried," Donnie says without prompting. That's right, he was Donatello too. He would know what he was thinking about. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Tried?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shredder killed our gram-gram Karai." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Karai</span>
  </em>
  <span>? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Karai is your... grandmother?" Donatello questions, now looking up as he tries to wrap his head around that concept, "in that case I really hope your Leo didn't get a crush on her." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wha- ow, shit!" Donnie exclaims loudly, bumping his head against the table he was under to retrieve a fallen piece of machinery. He rubs his head, eyes hidden behind his blue and red goggles, but Donatello could see that his face was twisted up in a mixture of pain, disgust and confusion, "your Leo had a crush on your <em>grandmother</em>?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, no in our universe she's Splinter's biological daughter." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"... that makes her your <em>sister</em>," Donnie points out, Donatello cringing as he realizes that he was technically correct. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"In his defense, we didn't know that at the time," Donatello explains, but based on the expression still on Donnie's face, that wasn't a good enough excuse. Donatello didn't totally blame him, any sane person would respond the same way, but he probably shouldn't say anything about it to Leonardo, "but don't bring it up to our Leo. He doesn't like being reminded about that." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, I wouldn't either," Donnie mutters, still trying to wrap his mind around the idea of Karai and Leo, "don't mention it to my Leo, he took her death harder than any of us so to know that your Leo likes Karai would definitely make him uncomfortable." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello found himself about to ask about April, but let that question die in his throat. What if April was related to them in some way like Karai or what if the Donnie here actually managed to make a relationship with this April? He didn't want to think about how much it would hurt to see what could have been if there was something between them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, you guys in general make Leo uncomfortable, but you already knew that," Donnie says, his voice flat and void of emotions again. Donatello blinks, trying to remember if he ever slipped up about eavesdropping. He doesn't remember seeing any clues of Donnie catching him or even making a noise, but the turtle in question nudged a screen over to show camera footage of Donatello standing in front of the lab, clearly listening, "I have cams set up in front of my doors. My brothers can do a lot of damage if provoked enough and I like being aware if they decided to rip out some more circuits and make my drone murderous again." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Again?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Long story," he answers, pushing the screen away, "don't take what he said to heart. Leo is generally untrusting of new people, which has saved our butts a lot so we don't call him out on it as often as we should. He'll warm up at some point, but for now don't expect to be best friends." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Our Leo is untrusting sometimes too," Donatello mumbles. Maybe these kids weren't as different as his brothers claimed they were. Based on their conversation, they have suffered loss and sacrifice just like them- maybe not to the exact same scale, but at a level to be understanding. They also shared more traits then Donatello had expected based on their first few interactions. While he was itching to get back, the urge had decreased slightly since working with Donnie. He could learn a lot here if given the chance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He jumps as the door swings open, Michelangelo in the opening, "sorry, I didn't think it would make so much noise," he explains nervously as Mikey ducks under his arm to race into the lab. Donatello waits for Donnie to yell at him to leave, but he just mutters a quick warning to watch his step with all the destroyed tech and not touch any wires. Michelangelo remains in the doorway, hands clasped behind him as he waits for Mikey to come back with whatever he was looking for. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How is it going in here?" He asks, Donatello knowing it was more of a formality and he didn't really care. Even if he did, Donatello would have to dumb it down for him, and he wasn't totally in the mood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Fine." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He can feel Donnie's gaze on him, the soft shell pausing his work to listen to their interaction. The only sound comes from Mikey in the corner as he shifts through some things, but Donnie makes no indication of getting annoyed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Do you need help?" Michelangelo asks, once again more likely a formality or something. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello doesn't have time to answer before Mikey pipes up from his corner, "ooo yeah, that could be fun!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Visions of things exploding and tech once again being lost fills Donatello's mind, Michelangelo getting himself hurt like he usually does around Donatello's equipment. He finds himself speaking in a tone harder than he intended, "absolutely not. We don't need you guys breaking stuff like you always do. Just get your things and leave." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence swells in the lab, Michelangelo deflating slowly at his words as he looks down at his feet, "right, sorry." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"This is my lab," Donnie interrupts suddenly, voice cold and seething. Donatello looks over his shoulder to see Mikey standing beside his taller brother, clutching a purple skateboard to his plastron as he looked between the three turtles, "if they want to help they can." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello is unsure on how to respond, Mikey whispering to Donnie about a broken wheel. He takes the skateboard from his hands wordlessly and replaces it with skilled precision like it's happened a thousand times before, handing it back to Mikey. He just utters a rushed thanks before racing out, avoiding Donatello as much as possible to pull Michelangelo away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>More silence as Donnie immediately turns back to working, clearly angry about what Donatello had done. Donatello feels his own annoyance growing- Donnie made it sound like his brothers destroyed his tech all the time, why would he want Mikey fiddling around with equipment? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You just admitted to not liking him in your lab-" Donatello starts, about to voice his frustrations, but Donnie beats him to it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't like them in my lab <em>alone</em>," he explains, "I have a lot of dangerous things that can hurt them if they fiddle with it, so yes, I don't personally like having them in here because it means I have to watch them, but I'll never say no to them wanting to help." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But Mikey always breaks things." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie gestures around the room, spreading his arms wide to indicate all the destruction around them, "things will always break, regardless of if Mikey does it, or one of my other brothers, or some freak accident. But broken things can be fixed," he explains, pointing at one of his completed battle shells. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Broken things can be fixed.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello turns his attention back to the machine, pushing away the voices of his brothers screaming for Splinter and their begging for him to <em>f</em><em>ix it</em> because he's <em>Donnie</em> and Donnie can fix <em>anything</em>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was useless that day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Donatello," Donnie calls, breaking him from the downward spiral of his thoughts. He looks up to see his counterpart looking tense, hands in fists on the table as his voice came across in a threatening tone, "I don't care how you and your brothers treat each other, but if you ever speak to my Mikey that way, your biggest worry will be me- not this portal." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence swells again, the connection they had created while working together deeply severed and added to the long list of broken things Donatello can not fix. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Noted."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And no more words were exchanged.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Again, no update next week :( I'm so sorry! But I promise the next few chapters get a bit more interesting, so I hope it'll be worth the wait! Plus, I tend to write long chapters in place of a lot of short ones so I hope the length makes up for the weekly updates :) have a great week everyone and good luck to anyone else suffering through midterms. You got this!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Skateboards and Turtle Piles</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mikey worries about the future as Michelangelo wishes to go back.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I have a scenario tomorrow and midterm friday. Should I be studying? Yes. Am I updating instead? Also yes. </p><p>Drink some water before reading this chapter. Not that it's a tear jerker, but because you probably haven't drank anything and I care about you.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Mikey unceremoniously shoves Donnie's skateboard in Michelangelo's hand, just wanting to get out of the lair as soon as possible. Seeing the interaction between the other Mikey and Donnie made him feel... sick. And scared. He couldn't imagine Donnie ever using a tone like that on him, let alone saying no to him helping. They were tough as nails together, he was always grateful for his younger brother's help, and to hear all the mean things Donatello had to say... </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo rushes to catch up to Mikey, holding the skateboard nervously in his hands, "dude, slow down, what happened back there isn't a big deal-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But, it is!" Mikey exclaims, stopping in the sewer tunnel. Michelangelo barely has time to stop before he runs into the other box shell, "whenever I ask Donnie to hang out or help or do anything with him, he's usually fine with it! Sure, he has some rough days where he's more closed off and doesn't want me fiddling with his stuff, but he has never done what your Donnie did," Mikey explains, spinning to face his counterpart. He stops when he sees the confused look on Michelangelo's face, like he wasn't sure why Mikey was making such a big deal out of what Donatello said to him. Was he not as bothered as Mikey was? Or was this... normal for him to face? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"... when's the last time you and your brothers spent time together?" Mikey asks slowly, Michelangelo gripping the board to his chest a bit tighter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We went on patrol last night and you just saw the three of us train," Michelangelo mumbles, but his averted gaze showed that he knew that wasn't what Mikey was asking about, "I don't remember- it's not like we have time with the whole... saving the world thing." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"... not even to watch a movie?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Honestly, I can't remember the last time I watched TV," Michelangelo admits, getting a far off look in his eyes, "it's sorta just easier to sleep between doing things like training and patrolling." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What?" Mikey squeaks, trying to wrap his head around NOT making time for his family, "you guys don't do like... turtle piles?!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo hums, putting a finger to his chin as he tries to remember, "maybe when we were 15? With the whole space travel thing though, time has gotten a bit wonky for us, time goes differently up there then down here." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"And how old are you now?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"18, we think. Again, space travel, kinda messed things up," Michelangelo explains, tilting his head at Mikey's horrified gaze, "it's not a big deal. It's just something that we stopped." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm almost 15 though, I don't want the turtle piles to stop!" Mikey cries, big tears rolling down his cheeks as he tries to imagine a rift forming between his brothers, "Raph turned 16 this year- is he grown out of them, but not saying anything? What about Leo and Donnie, they turn 15 soon, what if they want to stop! I'm not ready for that-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Whoa dude, you're jumping ahead a bit too much," Michelangelo interrupts, placing a hand on Mikey's head, "I wouldn't sweat it, I've only known your family for a few hours but I can already tell you guys are super close. I don't see it stopping any time soon, okay? I didn't mean to stress you out, sorry." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence in the tunnel, only broken by Mikey's sniffles. Michelangelo seemed content enough to just wait in silence, not pushing for him to get over his inner turmoil of emotions. In this universe, Mikey was Doctor Feelings, he helped his brothers feel better and understand their emotions, and it felt weird being at the other side now. Not that his brothers ever left him alone with his thoughts, he knew he could go to them for help, but they never really understood how to handle Mikey's rare explosions of emotions. He didn't want to be coddled by Raph in those moments or get distracted by Donnie and Leo- he just wanted someone to sit beside him while he cried. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Michelangelo seemed to understand that. Sometimes you don't want to talk about your feelings, you just want them out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry," Mikey mutters after a while, rubbing his tears away with the back of his hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't be," Michelangelo assures him, rubbing his head one last time before pulling away, "I wish my brothers were still open about their emotions like you, but that ended pretty quickly. Wait, you said you were almost 15- how old are you?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm thirteen," Mikey sniffs, Michelangelo making an unamused face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So I'm five years older than you and not even an inch taller- fantastic," but a soft smile overcomes his features when Mikey laughs, the sound ringing down the sewers and bouncing off the walls, "c'mon, let's go skateboarding." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><strong>《{•}》</strong> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo let's his feet hang off the edge of the ledge, watching Mikey do some twists at the other end, skateboard above him before he kicks it back down to the ramp, landing on it and doing another loop around the tunnels. Mikey had explained to him that they used to have an actual skate park in the middle of their home, but it got destroyed, they had to find someplace new, their new home not big enough to hold ramps. At the word 'destroyed', Michelangelo asked for him to elaborate, but Mikey just shifted uncomfortably before kicking his board and racing down to leave Michelangelo at the top of the ramp. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Thirteen</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now Michelangelo was actually happy they were more carefree over here- he couldn't imagine putting Mikey through the same things he did at thirteen. As much as he ached for his father and everything else they sacrificed, he was thankfully that that burden landed on his family and not this one. They were far too young to suffer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey whoops loudly as he does another trick off a lip, Michelangelo content with just watching for now. When he was younger he was probably just as energetic as Mikey, he does remember his love of skateboarding growing up, but lately he's just been... tired. Drained. Not wanting to do much of anything beyond his responsibilities and basic necessities. He thought he was doing a good enough job at hiding his plummeting energy- his brothers haven't pointed anything out yet- but there hasn't been a moment in a long while for him to duck away, and seeing how excited Mikey was about meeting another version of himself made it so much harder to not just collapse on the spot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn't want Mikey to be disappointed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The box turtle stops his tricks, slowing down his speed to safely stop beside Michelangelo, looking down at him while at the same time avoiding his gaze, "um... can I ask a question? About you and your brothers?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo wasn't sure if he had the energy to smile and act like everything was fine with his brothers, the last thing he wanted to do was freak out Mikey more. Another side of himself knew that he couldn't lie even if he wanted to- he was technically talking to another Michelangelo. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sure," he found himself saying instead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence is the response as Mikey looks at his feet, fingers tapping the board in his arms. Whatever question he had was hard for him to say apparently, but after a few heartbeats he manages to make eye contact, "what happened to you guys?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's a long list- you'll need to narrow it down for me," Michelangelo responds humorlessly, Mikey dropping down to sit beside him, lanky legs kicking the edge, "but I assume you want to know why we're more... distant." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey nods, Michelangelo sighing heavily as he realizes that he doesn't really have an answer, "I mean, we were like you guys at one point. But pain... it builds. And talking about it helps get rid of some of it, but if you don't do it enough, it grows. And then it grows so much that talking won't clear it away. Leo was weighed down by the burden of being leader so he never wanted to open up to us, Raph is just always angry- I know he loves us, but he's so tempered and talking goes one of two ways and usually it ends in him just being more angry. And Donnie is just Donnie. He finds more comfort in machines than actual people. And that was all before we lost our father. After that point it just totally deteriorated, everyone shut down in their own way. The pain had grown to something bigger than ourselves and stronger than the bond we thought we had. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"At some point we all realized that talking about it, means we risk being crushed by whatever falls, and it's so much easier to not do anything about it, then actually try." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But you guys still love each other, right?" Mikey asks after a moment of silence, voice sounding very small in the massive tunnels, "you're still brothers?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo blinks, not sure how to interpret the question, "I mean... yeah of course we are. Leo took a table to the face for me when the portal sucked us up, Donnie keeps me out of the lab because I usually end up hurting myself, and as much as Raph asks like he doesn't care, I know he would put his shell in front of anything to protect us all. It's just that that love is more... hidden than usual. Harder to see. But I know it's still there." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You just need someone to help get it all out." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was determination in Mikey's voice and Michelangelo finds himself wondering what exactly the little kid was thinking about, "yeah, probably, but I don't personally know any therapists that don't scream at the sight of mutant turtles." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey looks ready to talk some more, probably with more questions, but Michelangelo is saved by their brothers, releasing a relieved sigh when Mikey races down to see Leo and Raph. He doesn't follow however, seeing that his Leonardo and Raphael were down there as well. He still was feeling that icky, drained emotion and didn't have the energy to act excited about seeing his brothers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You guys got a skate park down here?" Raphael questions, looking around the sewer system, "or... something like one I guess." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, Donnie set it up! We used stuff from our old home and things from Repo Mantis' junkyard, to make the ramps and-" Mikey goes off on a long winded explanation waving his hands around every so often in excitement. Leonardo and Raphael had the decency to look like they were listening as he rambled, but the second Mikey stopped their attention was narrowed in on their own baby brother. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I thought I said not to leave the lair," Leonardo calls up to him, arms crossed as his voice takes on that scolding tone. Sensei Leonardo was at full force. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo looks away from the glare, "you and Raph were training and Mikey asked if I wanted to go skateboarding so I said yes, I didn't want to bother you guys." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We thought something happened!" Raphael pitches in, the pair uncharacteristically working together to tell Mikey off, "what if you were hurt?!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Is this a scolding or are they just trying to hide the fact they care</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It was my idea so blame me!" Mikey interrupts quickly, jumping in to defend Michelangelo. He was thankful that his younger counterpart cared enough about him to argue for his sake, but he didn't want him getting in trouble for what was originally a harmless idea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Michelangelo, just get down here already," Leonardo commands, eyes narrowed to show he didn't want any antics. The turtle in question sighs, picking up his board and just walking down, joining the other brothers at the bottom, "what were you thinking?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's Mikey, he doesn't think," Raphael grumbles, looking away. Usually Michelangelo would let the comment slide- he knew Raphael didn't really mean it, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mikey</span>
  </em>
  <span> didn't know that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Raph, watch it, I'm not the only Mikey here," Michelangelo hisses, but his older brother only rolls his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's another Mikey, how smart could he be," he snaps, grabbing the back of Michelangelo's head and pushing him forward, indicating that he wanted to go back to the lair, "next time, just tell us where you're going. We're already in another universe, don't make us stressed over something avoidable." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Right, yeah, sorry," Michelangelo mutters, but he relaxes when Leonardo rubs the top of his head. Their love was still there, he was sure of it. It was just a little bit harder to see. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><strong>《{•}》</strong> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo did NOT like what he was hearing. Did Raphael seriously just call his own brother stupid? And what about Michelangelo? He took it like it was a normal thing to be said to him, like this happens all the time. The only reason he said anything was because of Mikey, but what bothered Leo the most was how Leonardo didn't say anything. He just </span>
  <em>
    <span>watched</span>
  </em>
  <span> as Raphael insulted Michelangelo. That was </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mikey, Leo could never imagine not defending his brother- or any of his family members. And Leonardo just let it happen. All they wanted to do was skateboard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His hand on Mikey's shoulder tightens a bit as he looks away from the other turtles to check on his Mikey. Mikey was looking at the interaction with a forlorn gaze, but didn't appear to be personally hurt, even when Raphael claimed that all versions Mikey would be stupid. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Leo wanted to remind him, just in case, "you know we don't feel that way about you- right?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey blinks, turning away as the three older turtles head down the tunnel, his gaze slightly unfocused as if looking at something in the distance before narrowing in on Leo. A wide smile crosses his face, reassuring Leo that he was alright, "I know that!" He promises, patting Leo's hand on his shoulder for added benefit, "can you guys promise me something though?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo gets taken aback slightly from the serious expression that had overcome Mikey's face, sharing a look with Raph. It wasn't a usual occurrence for Mikey to ditch his optimistic outward appearance, and it made a small ball of dread and worry unfurl in Leo's heart, "yeah, whatever you need Miguel." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Please never let our love be hard to see." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh..." Leo finds himself responding dumbly, not really understanding what Mikey was referring to. A glance in Raph's direction showed that he wasn't the only one lost at what exactly Mikey was asking for, "sure?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That seems to be enough for Mikey as he collects them into a group hug, Raph only taking a second to mull over the situation before wrapping his arms around them both, Leo squished up against Mikey. Raph never turned down the opportunity for a hug, Mikey snuggling closer to them both. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yay, group hug!" Mikey exclaims excitedly, but Leo doesn't find himself sharing the same enthusiasm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"... what exactly did you and Michelangelo talk about?" He questions when Raph releases them, Mikey clambering up his massive shell to sit on his shoulder. He blinked owlishly down at Leo, before breaking into a warm smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That doesn't matter. All that matters is that we're brothers and we love each other!" Mikey explains, having to twist around to say the last few words as Raph starts to follow the other versions of them who duck around a corner. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Right..." Leo responds uneasily, noticing the way Michelangelo had looked back briefly. Even from their distance, he could see that he looked mournful- almost heartbroken. He tried to imagine that expression on Mikey's face, but that only made that ball of dread in his chest grow larger. A shiver crawls up his spine, the sensation that someone was watching him leering over him like a dark shadow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo looks around wildly, but doesn't see anything, the only sound being Mikey's distant laughter as Raph says some story Leo vaguely remembers being a part of. The sensation however, does not leave, not even when he races to catch up with his brothers. Another shiver as a deeper laugh echoes with Mikey's, Leo's gaze darting around before pushing it from his mind, believing that it was all in his head. He was just frayed from seeing their four counterparts- that was it. Raph and Mikey didn't make any indication of hearing it so it was all in his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His heart clenched up painfully however when the deep laugh echoes again, the dread exploding inside of him. Something was watching them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Something that he was terrified of, even though he didn't recognize the chilling voice saying his name.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Leo, are you hearing voices? Also, thank you so much for all the lovely comments! I haven't gotten around to answering them all due to midterms and school, but do know I love reading every one! And yes, Medic!Leo is in here, and totally not because I'm a paramedic student. No, not all, why would anyone think that? Anyways, thanks for the support and I hope you all have a lovely week!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. I'm Sorry</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter titles are not my strength, yikes.</p><p>Anyways, I actually have finished this arc 👀 just weekly updates from now on, however there are three more arcs left. The last will probably be the longest arc, but I hope you guys do stick around for it all :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When Leonardo rounds the corner back to the lair, he sees Donatello leaning against the wall beside the door, arms crossed and shoulders tensed as he looked down at the ground with a pained expression, "Donatello?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello blinks at his name and looks up, tension oozing out when he sees that it was just his brothers returning from finding Michelangelo, "hi." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo finds himself frowning at that word. It wasn't often that Donatello left his lab in the middle of research, most of the time Leonardo had to drag him out by force. Along with that, his voice sounded... off. Quieter, scared in a way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Y'know, you never leave the lab unless what you were starting is completed so I guess that means the portal is fixed and we can finally go home," Raphael says in relief, "this world is way too bright and giving me a damn headache." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo places a hand on Raphael's plastron to slow him down when he sees that Donatello's pained expression hasn't changed, mask wrinkled between his eyes as he looks at anything but their eyes, "Dee? What's wrong?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few tense breaths pass before Donatello sighs, hugging his arms tighter to himself, "their Splinter is home." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All the air seems to get sucked out of Leonardo's lungs and he feels like a little kid again, wanting nothing more than to run to their father and tug at his robes until he can be picked up and hugged. His world tilts dangerously and his vision swims, and he knew it was so stupid for him to feel this way- this wasn't their sensei, it wouldn't be the same, but knowing that beyond that door was some version of Splinter stabbed a burning rod through his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Someone slips their hand into his own and his feet find solid ground again, Leonardo's chest burning as he realizes he had stopped breathing, Donatello looking at him anxiously with his hands slightly outstretched, like he was waiting for him to collapse. Leonardo looks to his left to see that Michelangelo was the one holding his hand, the orange banded turtle's head angled slightly away as if embarrassed by his actions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Since when was Michelangelo embarrassed about showing affection? More accurately, when was the last time he actually did something like this? And since when did his eyes look so sunken in and dark? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Right, he wasn't the only one suffering and it was selfish of him to act that way. He had to be strong for them all- Splinter was their father, not just his. Leonardo gives Michelangelo's hand a small squeeze and he swears some glimmer of the past appears in his eyes before fading back to that dull look he had never noticed. Leonardo tilts his head to the left, indicating for them to move away from the door, "let's just... take a second before we go inside." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they get far enough away to gain some level of privacy, Leonardo places a hand on Donatello's shoulder, urging his brother to look up at him, "are you okay? I'm sorry you had to be by yourself." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm fine," Donatello responds sharply, but Leonardo could tell he was very far from it. His brow ridges were pinched together tightly and his voice was still that small, shaky tone, body still tense under Leonardo's hand. He pushes his older brother's hand off however, never one for physical affection, "it's just... he isn't the same. So don't walk in expecting... dad. It's not him." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Like... at all?" Michelangelo questions hesitantly, jumping as Mikey's laugh rings down the tunnel, the other versions of them appearing around the corner. Their voices die down however when they see the four turtles outside and huddled together, Leo and Raph averting their gaze to give them privacy, but Mikey very blatantly giving them a concerned look. He looked like he wanted to say something, but Raph lifts him off his shell and shakes his head slightly, urging him inside the lair. Silence returns, and Leonardo never felt lonelier. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I mean, he's a rat still," Donatello responds after a while, "but it's different. Draxum is new though, I don't recognize him from our universe." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo knew the Draxum part was just in there to try and switch up the topic, but he wasn't ready to let go just yet, "did you talk to him?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Of course I did, he's still Master Splinter. I greeted him politely and thanked him for the hospitality and excused myself. I didn't want to stay around and talk," he finishes, the last word of that sentence hanging in the space between them even if he didn't say it. Alone. Donatello didn't want to speak to him alone, "portal's not fixed by the way, Raph. Sorry." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No... that's- that's okay," Raphael mutters, Leonardo knowing he was just trying to get himself ready to see Splinter. He always blamed himself the most for his death, no matter how much Leonardo told him it wasn't, "take your time." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I hate to say it, but I think we just have to get this over with," Leonardo says sadly, knowing that facing a Splinter- regardless of if it was a different version- would hurt them all, "just remember that this isn't our Splinter, okay?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence is his only answer, but Michelangelo squeezes his hand one last time before letting go, Leonardo already missing the small comfort. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>《{•}》</b>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo wasn't sure what to say. This... was not what he was expecting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>First of all, this Splinter was about his knee level, puttering around the kitchen as he heats up some tea and listens to his sons ramble about their day. They were probably explaining the whole portal situation, because when he turns and finally notices the new turtles, he doesn't seem shocked, just mildly confused. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How am I going to tell you all apart?" He comments, rubbing a finger under his chin as he narrows his eyes at the four. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Pops, we all look different," Raph reminds him lightly, but Leo rolls his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Are you forgetting how he used to call you blue even though you very clearly wear red," he explains, but jumps as a tail smacks the counter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I no longer do that, Leonardo," Splinter scolds, pointing a finger at the red slider, "I know all your names now, right Randy?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, I really hope that was a poorly timed joke," Raph mutters, but a cackle from Splinter shows that it was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everything about the exchange just seemed so... off. Informal. Leonardo wasn't sure how to respond, and clearly neither did his brothers, the remaining three standing slightly behind him as if waiting for his lead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leave it to Michelangelo to break the awkwardness in the worst way possible. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh my God, he's so small and cute," Michelangelo cooes, saying the two words Leonardo would never associate with Splinter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He squeaks when Splinter lashes out with his tail and wiggles a long finger in his direction, "I am standing right here." Ah, there was that Splinter attitude he was struggling to imagine in this short rat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo releases another pained noise when Raphael punches his arm, Leonardo frowning at their childish antics and pushing it from his mind, "Master Splinter-" he starts, bowing to show respect. Even if this version was a lot smaller, he was still Splinter and he should still be shown proper courtesy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But when Leonardo straightens back up, he sees his father in the other man's eyes. He could see the kindness, and patience, and love that Leonardo had grown up with and admired so much and, </span>
  <em>
    <span>God</span>
  </em>
  <span>, did it ever hurt. Time was supposed to </span>
  <em>
    <span>heal</span>
  </em>
  <span> and make things </span>
  <em>
    <span>better</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but his chest still burned and his heart still ached and then he was falling, the floor beneath his feet disappearing as the world spun dangerously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A warm hand is placed against his cheek, Leonardo distantly noticing that they were wet with his tears. He had fallen to his knees at some point, now at head level with the man with his father's eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, my son," Splinter says mournfully, "you have been strong for far too long." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that was it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo feels his heart bleeding as he begins to cry harder, pressing his hand against the one on his cheek to make sure that what he was feeling was real and not some hallucination, "I'm so sorry!" He cries, not really sure what he was apologizing for. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For failing him. For not being fast enough or strong enough to defeat Shredder sooner. For not noticing how tired and worn Mikey looked, not noticing that Raph's drums had gone quiet for far too long, for not noticing how distant Donnie had become from them all. For failing as a brother and a leader. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Has his heart always hurt this much? Has he always felt this heavy, like his blood was made of cement and bones weighed down with bricks? He was so tired. That constant weary tired that wouldn't go away no matter how much he slept and even if he wanted to sleep, he knew he never could. Too many times has he found himself staring at the ceiling wondering what he should have done differently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Splinter pulls him into a hug, Leonardo taking a few seconds to respond before fiercely hugging him back, burying his face in the grey fur. Splinter didn't accept the apology- he probably understood that it wasn't for him- but he did gently rub Leonardo's head as he cried. It wasn't long until Michelangelo joined in, Raphael and Donatello following soon after. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He knew it was stupid, this wasn't their father, their home or their universe. It wasn't the same. Things were brighter here, happier. The Splinter here smelt like cake, not the incense that burned in their dojo back home. There wasn't a heavy shadow hanging over them all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But it didn't change the fact that it felt really good to be hugged again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>《{•}》</b>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie fiddles with Shelldon's circuit some more as Draxum looks over his failed portal, the sheep Yokai running his hands along the turtle's handiwork, "this is very impressive, Donatello." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie snorts, looking around the destroyed room, "yeah, and apparently destructive. It destroyed everything." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It was unstable- a simple overload issue. You created a cup, but then put in a bathtub of water," Draxum explains, Donnie rolling his eyes at the analogy. It made sense- harnessing the essence of Leo's weapons and trying to contain them in a metal frame did seem pretty ineffective now- but Donnie was never one to enjoy failure, least of all to have it pointed out by someone else. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Science is paved by failures," Draxum reminds him lightly, as if knowing what Donnie was thinking about. Of course he did, they were both men of science. After finding Draxum post-soul sucking and realizing he was probably... not as evil as they thought, Donnie had found some sort of solidarity with the sheep Yokai, more so after the final fight with Shredder and his acceptance of mystic magic. They were able to keep up with each other and exchanged ideas and lessons. Donnie helped him understand the science in the human world, and Draxum helped him embrace the mystic magic hidden in the folds. It went without saying that Draxum had a much softer spot for Mikey, but Donnie had found himself becoming an unofficial apprentice over the last few months. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie sighs, attaching the final circuit to Shelldon's board, "yeah, I know," he grumbles, but his stance softens as red lights expand from the center of Shelldon, replacing the outer shell as Shelldon's new body clicked and whirred, as if walking up from a deep sleep. Machines didn't really sleep, but he assumed that if they could, Shelldon was currently stretching his stiff limbs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Great, he was thinking in analogies now. Draxum was rubbing off on him more than he cared to admit. Soon enough he'll be pushing Leo off roofs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You did fix a lot of your destroyed technology in a short period of time however," Draxum points out, observing one of Donnie's fixed battle shells hanging against the wall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Donatello helped." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It must be nice having someone of equality in your lab," Draxum assumes, missing the bitter tone that had coated Donnie's words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No, it was not nice. Donnie was still fuming over what Donatello said to Michelangelo- it didn't matter if his words were only aimed at his Michelangelo, Donnie had seen how heart broken Mikey had looked in the moment, listening to the exchange. Of course he took some of what Donatello had said to heart, his hands shaking slightly when he handed the board over to Donnie to fix the wheel. He wanted to talk to Mikey about it, remind him that he was allowed to help whenever he wanted as long as he listened to stay safe, but he still had that angry ball of energy in his stomach and he didn't want to risk it exploding. When his emotions build up too much, he finds himself yelling things he doesn't really mean- like back at the demolition fight. He knew his father cared, but at that moment all he wanted to do was make him hurt like he ached. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie pushes the memory from his mind, focusing his attention on Shelldon as the drone blinks his eyes open. The drone doesn't speak, just looking around for a few seconds as he takes around his surroundings. His eyes latch on Donnie, and somehow he managed to look scared, "where's Shredder?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Gone," Donnie promises, rubbing the drones head. Shelldon seems to hum loudly at that and launches into Donnie's arms for one of their weird drone-turtle hugs, "happy birthday by the way, I updated you to version 14." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ew, gross, I'm getting old," Shelldon comments dryly, hovering away to turn to Draxum, "wow, you're tall." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie blinks, realizing that Shelldon and Draxum had never officially met, "oh, right, Shelldon, this is Draxum, Draxum, Shelldon." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Fantastic, you made artificial intelligence," Draxum says in awe, observing Shelldon racing around the lab to explore the new space, "one day, you may just surpass me." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie's chest swells with pride at that. Parental approval- all he ever wanted in life! The moment is ruined however, by his door opening, Donnie jumping to see all three of his brothers standing in the frame. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Bros!" Shelldon exclaims joyfully, the turtles all excitedly saying their own greetings as wide smiles are shared all around. Their family was slowly getting fixed, and that's exactly what Donnie's job was in this family. To fix broken things. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie sighs, feeling a great weight lifted off his shoulders as Mikey nuzzles the top of Shelldon's head like the drone likes, the machine humming happily at the attention. He collapses in his seat, suddenly feeling extremely exhausted. When was the last time he actually slept? With fixing Shelldon and his lost tech from Shredder, setting up their new home, and trying to mend what he could, Donnie realized he hadn't had a full night of sleep in weeks. Now that things were finally settling back into place, he felt dead on his feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So, how long until we can fix the portal and send the other turtles home?" Donnie questions Draxum, trying to hide his exhaustion as best as he can. The Yokai arches a brow at his slumped form, but doesn't remark on it, turning back to the purple frame. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm not sure, trans-dimensional travel has been outlawed so the field itself is mainly unexplored." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why was it outlawed? Am I going to get arrested?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You'll only be arrested if you get caught, so don't panic yet," Draxum promises, noting the way Donnie's voice had increased in pitch, "it was an accident, you were just building a normal portal when something backfired. And it was outlawed due to adverse effects of mixing... alternate versions of a universe." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"By alternate versions you mean the less attractive versions of us downstairs," Leo interrupts, Donnie curious as to why everyone was suddenly crowding in his lab. They would often check on him, but it was a common occurrence for them to not take an interest in what he was doing unless it had potential to explode. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Like his portal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo must have noticed his confused expression because he tosses a thumb over his shoulder, indicating the lower levels, "they're dealing with seeing Splinter." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What do you mean by 'dealing'?" Donnie questions, placing quotations around the word. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Um... their Leonardo started crying, like a lot. So we left," Raph explains uncomfortably, "we're just gonna hide out in here for now if that's alright." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Leo... crying?</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie looks to his twin before remembering that no, that was the wrong Leo. His Leo seemed bored at the moment, a ghost of a smile on his face as Shelldon nudges him for more attention. His Leo was fine and that's all that mattered to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Just don't touch anything without asking, some things are still acting funky," Donnie warns, shooting a pointed look at Mikey who was clearly about to press a button on his computer. He smiles guiltily before sliding away, "what do you mean by adverse effects?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, they don't belong here, it's an imbalance and mystic energy does not like that." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I thought mystic magic hated balance." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It hates order and embraces chaos, but the balance of the universe is different from that. By introducing another version of yourself, the universe will have to find a way to balance it, either by removing them or removing you." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Fantastic, the universe is going to try and off us," Leo translates, dropping to the floor with a heavy sigh, "is there any good news with these versions of us swooping in to screw up this balance thing?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"This can be interpreted as good or bad news depending on what is exchanged, but mystic magic will match your inner essences and mix them to see how similar you are all. That means you'll feel memories, feelings, and experience with the other turtles. If they have a large fighting background, it may translate into you," Draxum adds, Donnie not seeing how that's good news. As far as he could tell, the other four were a burning garbage pile of bad emotions and crappy relationships- he didn't want any of Donatello's nastiness to go on him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Feelings</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh shit," Donnie groans, rubbing his hands down his face, "does feelings include like... romantic stuff?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I would assume so, why?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Leo, don't think about Karai until we get rid of these guys." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What?!" He squawkes indignantly, immediately taking offense to that statement, "you want me to just... forget about gram-gram?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Their Leonardo had a crush on their Karai, who is not their gram-gram, but it's still a foggy line I don't have the energy to explain," Donnie mutters, crossing his arms and slouching lower in the seat. He was really having a hard time keeping his eyes open now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph laughs, but quickly slaps a hand over his mouth, looking ashamed as Leo sends a nasty look his way, "it's not funny, but it kinda is," he attempts to defend, lowering his hands, but still clearly trying to stifle another outburst, "I just can't imagine you being in a relationship, let alone having a </span>
  <em>
    <span>crush</span>
  </em>
  <span>!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What's that supposed to mean?!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh no, there they go again," Mikey sighs, walking over to sit by Donnie's legs. He leans against them, and yawns, Donnie not having the heart to push him off. Raph and Leo enter one of their classic arguments as Mikey pats Donnie's knee, "you're not Donatello, you know that right?" He asks quietly, Donnie looking away at his words. According to Draxum, he might start turning into Donatello, and the last thing he wants to do is yell at Mikey for being... Mikey. It was wrong on so many levels, and thinking of it made that little ball burn a bit hotter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah... I know." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>《{•}》</b>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie must have passed out at some point because he opened his eyes to peeling glow in the dark stars, recognizing them as Mikey's ceiling. He shifted, his shoulder brushing up against Leo's laying form who was flipping through a comic book, eyes glazed as he scanned the pages, not really reading anything. He could also hear Raph snoring loudly on his other side, Mikey most likely sprawled on his plastron. The floor was soft with pillows and blankets, Donnie nudging Leo to silently ask what was going on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His blue eyes slide over to him tiredly, Donnie knowing he wouldn't be sleeping tonight. Apparently he had a sleep paralysis episode a few nights back and the thought of facing it again was taking a toll on his sleeping habits. They don't talk, knowing that Raph was a light sleeper, always paying attention to any sound of a brother crying after a particularly rough dream. He tilts his head towards Mikey's general direction, Donnie knowing exactly what he was trying to say. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mikey wanted a turtle pile tonight, wouldn't sleep without it.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie narrowed his eyes in question, wondering where the other turtles were. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We set them up in Raph's room since it's the largest. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie was satisfied enough with the answers, but sent a warning look in Leo's direction, wanting him to at least try and sleep. He had people with him tonight if he had another attack, but he just smiles tiredly, going back to his comic book and ignoring Donnie's frustrated glare. He sighs and rolls over, hand reaching over his shoulder to see that they had removed his battle shell, the heavy, yet comfortable weight missing. He wasn't concerned though- he trusted his brothers to protect him if anything happened. His eyes were just fluttering close when Michelangelo screams from the other room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Leo?!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Leo was gone in an instant, his blue bandana tails vanishing through the orange curtain as he responded to his brother's cry.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Y'all should have known this Splinter chapter was coming at some point :/ poor 2012 boys missing their dad</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Fearless</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I just really quickly want to explain something:<br/>Understandably so, the 2012 boys are coming across as out of character- mainly being described as dicks. However, these descriptions are coming from the POV of the Rise family. Anyone can see that there is a massive difference in how they treat each other and both ways are valid! How 2012 acts is a similar dynamic to me and my brother, I wouldn't see their interactions as being rude to each other, however 2018, who has only ever seen their own family, would perceive it differently. It's not my intention to make it seem like 2018&gt;2012, I love both for different reasons, but if my writing says otherwise I am really sorry. </p><p>Along with that, the 2012 story has been slightly tweaked. I know they didn't drift apart following the defeat of Shredder, but it just makes more sense in my head for their to be some sort of rift following the traumatic events. They're all going through the five stages of grief, so again I'm really sorry if you aren't fond of the characterization of the 2012 turtles.</p><p>Regardless, I am truly thankful for all the love and comments this story has received thus far- I've loved each and every one that has been left behind and am trying to respond to some more recent ones. I've had a really rough week and these comments have helped me with moving forward. For anyone else struggling, I wish you all the best and please know that you are loved and strong. You got this! Also, drink water.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Michelangelo stirs awake, blearily cracking his eyes open as a shiver runs up his spine, warning him that something is wrong. From what he could see scanning the room, everything appeared relatively calm. The younger turtles had offered up Raph's room, the snapper having the largest space to accommodate his size. At the moment it was very dark, a crack of light outlining his red curtain that was ripped along the bottom. The night light had been removed, Raphael muttering something about kids and monsters before rolling to his side and having his shell face all his brothers. Surprisingly enough, Donatello had gone down very little resistance, now curled up to Michelangelo's left. His breath was coming out in little puffs, his version of snoring, but Michelangelo was sure that wasn't the reason he was up. Honestly he was surprised he was even up at this time. Usually he slept through the night, crashing after spending an entire day trying to hold his brothers together, and with the added stress of going to a new universe he expected to just black out completely. Seeing Splinter had emptied everything out of him and when Leonardo had suggested going to bed early instead of going patrolling he almost collapsed in relief. Their counterparts still went out, sans Donnie who had vanished from the lab as well, but not before Leo had explained what Draxum warned them about. He promised that Donnie would jump back into work after sleeping and fix the portal before anything happened, but Michelangelo had noticed that he had rubbed his neck as he left, a mannerism Leonardo always did after a talk he didn't believe in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo wasn't sure that they could fix this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>However, at that point, Michelangelo was too tired to care, flopping on the ground and blacking out just as Leonardo put a pillow under his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyes were starting to close again, whatever woke him up passing, until he hears it. A hitch of breath, like someone struggling to breath but trying to hide it. The hitch was followed by a scared whine and Michelangelo jolts to his knees as he looks around widely, trying to figure out who was making the noises. Donatello was still snoring and Raphael didn't seem to be shifting in a nightmare, which only left Leonardo, who was laying on his shell unmoving. Michelangelo frowns- maybe it was just the kids in the next room over, until he sees that Leonardo's hands were shaking, Michelangelo hesitantly whispering his name as he crawled closer, not wanting to wake his other brothers. He assumed it was a nightmare of sorts, they all had them, but his anxiety spikes when he sees that Leonardo's eyes were <em>open</em> and staring at the ceiling, pupils dilated in fear as that strangling sound comes again, like he couldn't breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Leo?" Michelangelo repeats a bit louder, Raphael stirring in his spot, but not waking up. Leonardo doesn't respond, not even when Michelangelo places a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly in case he was just dreaming with his eyes open, "are you okay?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No response besides that scared cry and Michelangelo's eyes blow wide, sleep driven from his mind. Leonardo wasn't breathing, and his hands were shaking so much and his muscles were so tight and coiled underneath Michelangelo's hand, "Leo!?" He repeats louder, not caring if he woke people up. Something was seriously wrong with Leonardo and he needed help <em>now</em>, "Donnie, somethings wrong with Leo!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Donatello was already up and by Michelangelo's side, probably shaken awake by Michelangelo's first plea for Leonardo to move. He finds himself being pushed away, scooting backwards to give Donatello space, the panic in his chest exploding now that Donatello had obscured his view of Leonardo. He was worried too, and scared! Why did Donatello shove him to the side?! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A part of him knew it was because Donatello was in charge of medical things like this, yet another part of Mikey found itself crying out about how unfair it was and how often he gets pushed away, like he was some burden or obstacle that needed to move. One look at Leonardo's shaking hands pushes that thought away, it wasn't time for him to wallow in self-pity, not when Leonardo needed help. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello barks at Raphael to turn the lights on, the Christmas lights strung above their heads flickering before sending down a soft yellow glow. The curtain is ripped open as well, Michelangelo spinning around to see Leo in the door frame, Raphael in a defensive position like he expected Leo to attack them all. If that bothered him, he didn't show it, the worry on his face getting replaced by confusion as he pressed a hand against his forehead, looking down the hallway to where Michelangelo assumed <em>his</em> brothers were. Did Leo respond to his cry? His mask was gone, showing his red markings broken by purple bags, and striped blue pajamas against green skin. That kinda threw Michelangelo off guard- it wasn't that often they wore clothes and to know these guys wore pjs almost made him laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Almost. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a haunted look in Leo's eyes when he turned back to Michelangelo, gaze flickering between him and Leonardo on the ground, "are you okay? I heard you scream." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We're fine, and we have this under control so go back to your brothers," Raphael snaps, turning away from Leo and stalking to Leonardo's other side, crouching down to look at his eldest brother. His expression softens as concern takes over his anger, Michelangelo once again feeling pushed to the side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm fine, sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Michelangelo mumbles, rising to his feet to approach Leo. He looks over at his shoulder at Leonardo in concern, wondering why he was still shaking, "something's just wrong with Leo, but I think we got it, thank you." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo blinks owlishly, confusion clear on his face, "why are apologizing? You screamed because something was wrong, it wouldn't be very brotherly of me to not come check on you." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Brotherly</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo frowns, trying to understand what Leo meant by that word, "right, but you're not my brother. Really, thank you for the concern, but I think we have it under control." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mikey, it doesn't matter what universe you're from, you'll always be my brother," Leo promises softly, and Michelangelo almost finds himself crying on the spot, fighting the urge to hug Leo like he used to do as kids when the shadows looked like monsters. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But this wasn't his Leo, his Leo was on the ground and terrified over something he couldn't see. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It looks like sleep paralysis," Leo explains, "it'll pass. Like Draxie said- our essences are mixing or something. I get sleep paralysis so it makes some sense for Leonardo to get an attack, even if he never had one before. Just make sure he breathes when it's over and remind him whatever he's seeing isn't real," Leo turns to leave, Michelanglo peeking around the frame to see that all the brothers had woken up, Raph rubbing sleep from his eyes as Donnie leaned heavily against his side, one hand on holding Mikey's arm. The box shell looked like he wanted to run over and check on them all personally, but Donnie was holding him back, most likely knowing they wanted privacy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Um, Leo," Michelangelo calls before he gets too far, the slider turning at the sound of his name, "what do you usually see?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo looks away uncomfortably, face twisted up in a pained expression, "usually just Shredder," he explains, the 'usually' indicating that that wasn't all he would see some nights, "I'm gonna check on my brothers, just make sure Leonardo's okay." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Right, of course," Michelangelo responds, watching as Donnie finally let's go of Mikey so he can run up to Leo, looking around the blue pajamas to send Michelangelo a concerned look. He just gives his younger counterpart a thumbs up and tired smile, hoping it's enough to coax the kid to sleep. Turning back to his own brothers, he sees that Leonardo had stopped shaking, and now Donatello was just coaching him on his breathing, Michelangelo taking a knee by his feet, "Leo said it was sleep paralysis, he gets them sometimes. Our... essences mixing or something setting it off." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello frowns, helping Leonardo sit up, "I thought it was a seizure, but you were clearly awake so sleep paralysis does make sense." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, but do we listen to Leo, he's a bit of a dumbass from what I perceive," Raphael grumbles, placing a hand on Leonardo's shoulder to give him reassurance, "are you okay, Fearless?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo cringes slightly at the name, Michelangelo knowing that he was scared in that moment and didn't believe he lived up to the name, "I'm fine. Sorry for scaring everyone." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo searches Leonardo's face for any glimmer of a lie, that no, he wasn't fine, and instead is given a shaky smile. It takes a while before he can return it, Leonardo relaxing some more from the interaction, "did you say Leo get these sometimes?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo averts his gaze, now feeling as if he was sharing something that wasn't his to tell, "yeah. And I know you guys don't trust them, but I do. I mean, they're us. They're our brothers, right?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael snorts, turning the lights off and retreating back to his corner after Leonardo promises him he's fine again, "they are nothing like us, Mikey, and they are <em>not</em> our brothers," he swears, dropping to the ground and facing away. Donatello follows his example shortly afterwards, doing one last check on Leonardo to make sure that everything was fine before succumbing to sleep. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo wanted to go back to his spot on the floor, but he found himself besides Leonardo again, wanting to say something yet not sure what was needed to say. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo takes the lead instead, giving Michelangelo a head rub, "thanks for checking on me, otōto." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo blinks, searching Leonardo's face for any indication that he was still in pain or scared. If he was, he didn't show it, Michelangelo wanting to ask him if he was sure he was okay or to just say goodnight. Instead he finds himself saying the words he had been carrying like a burden for ages, "I'm so tired." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Saying the words hurt more than he predicted, and he can feel the sharp pain in his eyes warning him that he was going to cry, tears prickling as his face twists up. However, he felt relieved as well, the weight on his chest from carrying that secret rolling off him like the tears down his cheeks. He rubs them away quickly, not wanting to bother Leonardo with his emotions, but his older brother saw through it. He always does at some point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I know, and I'm so sorry I didn't notice sooner," he apologizes, Michelangelo looking up to see a pained expression on his face, like the face he made right before collapsing at Splinter's feet. He opens his arms slightly, and Michelangelo falls into them, holding Leonardo as tight as he can as his older brother nuzzles the top of his head with his chin, scratching Michelangelo's shell like he used to do after a particularly bad nightmare. Michelangelo did not want to let go, to lose this moment he had missed ever since Leonardo had started locking his door during the nights, and apparently neither did Leonardo as he pulled them both to the ground, holding Michelangelo tighter as if scared he would leave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo did not plan on leaving, pressing his face closer against Leonardo's plastron so he could feel the vibrations of his breathing against his head, falling asleep to the sensation and assuring himself that this was real. That Leonardo was really holding him again and this wasn't one of those bittersweet dreams he has where he wakes up feeling very alone and very scared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had his brother again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <strong>《{•}》 </strong>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo tries to sleep. He really truly does. He holds Michelangelo a bit tighter, calms his breathing, tries to meditate to clear his head. Shell, he even counts <em>sheeps</em>. But... </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>God, is that what Leo dealt with often? He had his own fair share of nightmares, failing his brothers and watching them all die, repeating Splinter's fall off that roof on repeat for hours, so close yet so far every single time, Shredder pressing down on him, crushing his knee and sending him back into that coma, rendering him useless and weak. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But this... at least in his nightmares he had some sort of inkling they were fake. They felt off, tilted, and he was aware that this wasn't real and he would wake up safely in his bed at some point, a small hitch in his breath versus a scream and a racing heart, but safe. Home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He woke up this time, like he always did, but this time to the ghastly figure of... something glaring down at him. Twisted metal and purple eyes, jaw unhinged to a reveal sharp teeth that glinted in the faint light, an animalistic growl echoing from the back of the throat and a large hand pressing on his plastron, claws digging into the raised part where flesh meet hard scoots and slowly prying it up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Leonardo could not move, his hands twitched and his heart raced, but his limbs refused to respond and he couldn't call for help and this was <em>real</em>. He could hear Donatello's snoring, could feel his heart pounding in his chest, could sense that burning feeling that comes with strangled breaths and this was <em>not</em> a nightmare. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was dying. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then Michelangelo was there, like he always is. A constant and warm presence that reminded Leonardo that everything was okay and as much as he wanted to scream at Michelangelo to run away, to save himself, another small selfish part wanted him to stay with Leonardo. He didn't want to be alone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was fake, he learned. Michelangelo didn't see it, even when it's gaping jaw was over his head, and Donatello hadn't seemed phased by the monster as he desperately tried to get Leonardo to control his breathing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Leonardo remembered that he wasn't alone, he never was alone. He always had his brothers, whether he realized it or not, and while he knew they were his weakness, he also knew they were his strength. So when Michelangelo had told him he was tired, in that small scared voice with dull eyes that Leonardo had only ever seen in the mirror, his heart shattered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For how long has Michelangelo been in pain and Leonardo had dismissed it? Was he really convincing himself that Michelangelo was just maturing and that's why he no longer heard the arcade games pinging in the lair? And did he really believe that suspicion, or was it his own selfish way of pretending that nothing was wrong, nothing needed to be mended. He was so wrapped up in himself that he didn't even realize he was losing his brother. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His heart drops when his eyes roam over Donatello's and Raphael's sleeping forms, both brothers turned away from him. Had they been slipping away too and Leonardo was avoiding that fact by staying in ignorant bliss? When was the last time Raph played his drums, and what about Donnie? He was almost always in his lab, Leonardo only seeing him for training and patrol. When did he last check on his younger brother to make sure he was taking a break, going to sleep at a real bed instead of a desk? The whole reason they were here was because of Donnie playing around with the Kraang tech, the portal going on the fritz and making enough noise to draw all the turtles into the room. While Raph had yelled at Donnie to shut the machine off, Leo had noticed his movements were slower, distracted. He hadn't slept in days then, and this whole accident was caused by his exhaustion. Had Leonardo noticed soon enough, maybe they never would have gotten sucked into this world. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This world that was apparently going to try and kill them or their counterparts to achieve the balance they had disrupted. He was sure that wasn't a threat the last time they jumped dimensions, but in theory wasn't <em>something</em> trying to kill them with a big conflict? And now they were getting mixed, Leonardo for the first time ever having a sleep paralysis attack- something this Leo dealt with normally. What else will crossover in their time here? He really didn't want to dump any of their burdens on these kids- they were still too young and unbothered by trauma. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He thinks. What did Mikey say about their Shredder? He was a 10 feet tall demon? Maybe these kids were dealing with more darkness then they let on, but right now Leonardo had to worry about his own family. His own family that he failed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo nuzzles closer and Leonardo rolls his eyes, continuing the shell scratches he had stopped while being entangled in his thoughts. Maybe it wasn't too late to mend the cracks he had been avoiding. And for tonight he could start with Mikey. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <strong>《{•}》 </strong>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo could tell their counterparts did not approve of their training methods. Over the past few months, their training has shifted from Lou Jitsu films to actual exercises, performed on the roofs of New York to get the boys used to the concrete jungle terrain. That was the main reason the dojo was still under construction- they never used it and were yet to have a reason. Leo knew his brothers like the back of his hand, and he knew that training in a square box would hinder their learning abilities. The room didn't allow Donnie to use his tech, Raph was too big to safely fight in such a confined space, and Mikey's fighting style didn't translate well into indoor fighting. While they did have to get used to being at a disadvantage in fights, Leo didn't see the need to always subject his brothers to a designated dojo. New York was their training ground and that was the end of that discussion. Anyways, their father had made it clear that tradition was not the number one thing he cared about- his sons came first. And if they learned better in an open setting with challenges, then he would teach them that way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, with the whole portal issue, Donnie was holed up in the lab all day and Leo had asked his father to skip formal training today and instead just watch some Lou Jitsu films. He didn't see the point of leaving Donnie all by himself with their counterparts if he didn't have to. Although he hadn't had a chance to personally speak to Donnie about it, he knew that something about Donatello bothered his brother and if he could spare him the anxiety of being alone then he would do just that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Which was why Mikey was currently yelling Hot Soup as he tried to disarm Raph and knock his significantly larger brother to the ground, a Lou Jitsu film playing in the background that Leo couldn't focus on no matter how much he tried, distracted by the three other turtles watching them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All of them appeared to be taken aback by the training style, Splinter coaching Mikey from his designated seat in the living room as Leo waited for his turn on the couch, elbows resting on his knees as his gaze switched between his brothers and the other versions of them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo seemed more confused than anything, head tilted to the side as he observed the training exercise in bare curiosity. Leonardo had some type of disgusted look on his face, Leo learning fairly quickly that he was a stickler for tradition. Of course he wouldn't agree with this adverse training, but Leo thought that looking horrified was a bit overkill. They were still learning, it didn't matter how as long as they improved. Raphael just looked like he was on the verge of laughing, hand over his mouth as he tried to stifle a laugh. It didn't work, a quick snort of laughter making its way out before Leonardo shakes his head and heads to the dojo they had cleaned the night before. Michelangelo had the decency to at least give Leo an apologetic smile before trailing after his brothers to do their own training. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Red, what did I say about throwing fights?" Their father barks once a loud bang rings through the lair, Leo turning back to the fight to see Raph on his shell and Mikey crouched on his plastron with a sweaty yet enthusiastic grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph cranes his neck up, lifting his hands up slightly in a shrug, "I didn't, Mikey tripped me. He threw a freight ship once, I don't think I'm as much of a challenge to lift me as you think." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Blue, your turn!" Splinter calls out, rewinding the clips, "make Red fall." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm kinda tired of being the punching bag," Raph grumbles as he rises to his feet, Mikey hopping off his chest to take Leo's spot on the couch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo felt the same way as Raph. He was tired of seeing the way the other turtles looked at them like they were kids who knew nothing. He could see it in their eyes that they had labelled them as immature and childish, instantly dismissing them as lesser. Seeing Raphael laugh and Leonardo shaking his head had rubbed him all the wrong ways and he was no longer in the mood to train- instead he just wanted out of the lair. Get some fresh air because he felt like he was suffocating with the sudden new additions to the home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"C'mon Lame-o-nardo, let's see what you got," Raph taunts, but Leo doesn't send back one of his one-liners, a nervous smile overcoming Raph's features at the cold expression on the slider's face, "Leo, you know I'm kidding right?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He knew he was, that nickname was an old time joke after Mikey had pointed out that it sorta sounded the same. Leo, of course, didn't like it, and had sat on top of Mikey until he apologized and called him King Leo. Now it only ever came up as a stupid taunt during training exercises, said with no bite in an attempt to rile up Leo. Usually it didn't work. Usually. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time the nickname really hurt for some reason. Leo wasn't sure if it was just bad timing after seeing the older turtles who probably considered them 'lame' or maybe he was just on edge from not sleeping the last few nights and now having to deal with people he wasn't particularly fond of. Either way, it sent up a jolt of anger and pain up his spine, Raph's reminder about it being a joke doing nothing to calm his rising nerves. The sound of his katanas unsheathing rings loudly in the lair, Raph's uneasy smile falling. Splinter never said 'no weapons' and they did train with them often to get the hang of using their ninpo, but never had Leo pulled out his blades with that cold and blank expression on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A hand fails on his arm however, pulling him from that cold darkness he had fallen victim too, Leo blinking and looking down to see his father gazing up at him in pure concern, "my son, when was the last time you slept?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo presses his mouth into a thin line and looks away, not wanting to answer. It's been five days now, and last night he did catch an hour of sleep before scaring himself awake over some rat crawling in the walls. He didn't want to admit to having another attack- he felt stupid and childish for having them. No one else in his family had them, so the only explanation for why it's just him is that he's weak. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You should take a rest, you tend to sleep better during the day when you can hear us downstairs," Mikey adds from his spot on the couch, knowing that some of Leo's demons were his own family members. By hearing them fine and alive downstairs, he was less likely to see their bent and bloodied shadows, but it didn't stop Shredder or Karai from haunting his dreams. He failed to save her and this was his punishment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He thought he deserved it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A quick beat of silence, Leo sending Raph an apologetic look for scaring him that is received with an easy and understanding smile. He usually just got insanely competitive in an attempt to stay awake, but there were a few instances where he found himself being irritable and lashing out in a way he'll definitely regret after resting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'll try," he mutters tiredly, however he felt that tight grip on his chest that warned him that no, he would not be sleeping. Shredder was waiting for him and he knew it, "I'm just going to check on Donnie." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A frown flickers across his father's face, Leo knowing that it was a pathetic excuse and Leo was just trying to delay the inevitable. An uneasy flick of the tail is the response instead, as he points at Mikey to fight Raph again, fast forwarding the movie to a clip of Lou Jitsu taking down a giant made of ramen. Right, Lou Jitsu and The Ramen Kaiju. Not one of Leo's favourites. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo treks up the stairs, limbs feeling unbelievably heavy as he circles back to what just happened. Did he really just pull his own blades against his brother? Over a stupid nickname that didn't bother him anymore? Why did it suddenly hurt so much to hear it, it was just some dumb name Mikey had innocently said one time and Raph used in their banter during fights. Even Shelldon called him Lame-o-nardo once as a joke, however Leo had caught Donnie scolding the drone about it behind closed doors later that night. Why did his chest burn from that? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo presses a palm to his forehead when he reaches the top of the stairs, looking down to see Mikey clinging to Raph and laughing maniacally as his older brother tries to shake him off, sounding eerily familiar to the Lou Jitsu on screen. Leo releases a defeated sigh, he really should go to bed. The last thing he wants to do is snap at any of his brothers again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He still did find himself in front of Donnie's lab though, jumping slightly when the door opened before he could touch the handle, the other Donatello looking very angry on the other side. The scowl on his face only deepens when Leo dumbly states, "you're not Donnie," Donatello pushing past him to go downstairs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey, Dee, I know that these guys are as appealing as a wet towel, but maybe don't piss any of them off," Leo suggests once Donatello is out of earshot, stepping into the lab and frowning at the tension that still hung thickly in the air, "Don?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What do you want, Leonardo," Donnie demands, intently focused on his massive computer screen as he read through files on one side, the other side scribbled with messy white text that made Leo's head hurt just looking at. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No need to bite my head off," Leo replies, walking over so he can lean on the back of Donnie's purple gaming chair, the soft shell visibly annoyed. His muscles were coiled tight like an elastic about to snap, face tweaked downwards in his own scowl. Leo made a note to avoid pressing Donnie's buttons too much. He didn't want that elastic band to snap, "something wrong?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm fine," Donnie responds sourly, Leo knowing for a fact he isn't fine, "I'm busy, so what do you need?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nothing, hermano," Leo hums, Donnie's shoulders hunching at his tone, "any progress on the portal?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes, Leo, it's fixed. I'm just hiding that fact from everyone because I just love having all this company," he spreads his arms out, gesturing to the massive screen scrolling with texts, "this is me doing research on portals for fun." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You know, your passive aggression isn't as cute as you think." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're not as funny as you think." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ow, my pride," Leo half-heartedly states, leaning against the seat more, Donnie tilting his head up to glare at his brother for disrupting his seat, "are you doing okay?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I said I'm fine." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You also said I wasn't funny so clearly you're on a lying streak." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie looks ready to fire something back, clearly frustrated and annoyed by Leo's antics, but something in his expression shifts and he sighs, "they think we're kids." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo frowns, knowing exactly what Donnie was alluding to, "I know. I mean, technically they're right, Mikey is only 13-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's not what I mean and you know it," Donnie replies sourly, turning his attention back to the screen, "they think we're under them or lesser or something. Donatello never said it, but I just know that the four of them think they're better than us." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo pats the top of Donnie's head in agreeance, smiling slightly when Donnie smacks it away, "I know. But once you fix this portal, they'll be gone. What happened with Donatello?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie hesitates before speaking, slouching lower in his seat, "I told him he was getting in my way and knows nothing about mystic magic so he was just wasting space." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why'd you say that?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Because he was getting in my way and knows nothing about mystic magic so he was just wasting space?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, yeah, but you don't tell him that," Leo responds in disbelief, Donnie rolling his eyes at the incoming scolding, "people take things harder than machines do by the way." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're not helping." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I never do, that's why you love me," Leo muses, pausing before saying his next words, "he's you Donnie. Do you enjoy being called stupid?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, but-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Then why would this Donnie? Trust me, I don't like them either, they give me bad vibes," he continues, making a face at 'bad vibes', "but we're stuck with them for a while so don't try and make enemies with any of them. Maybe try apologizing at some point, even though you suck at that and usually come off as being passive aggressive." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Eat ass." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo pats Donnie's head again, the soft shell once again swatting it away with a scowl, "so no progress on portal?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie sighs, resting his chin on his head as he pauses his reading, "not really. I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around how we switched from traveling in our dimension to jumping to a completely different one. Draxum said to think of it as a door- Donatello had opened it on his end and we were on the other side, but it doesn't work to go back because Donatello isn't there to restart it. He mentioned April on his side, but we don't know how to reach her to operate the portals at the same time, along with that, what happens if it sucks up April or spits out more stuff from that universe? I don't want to risk anyone else." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Isn't this sorta like portal jacking?" Leo suggests tiredly, the science talk making his eyes heavy. Jesus, he really hopes he doesn't fall asleep leaning against Donnie's chair, the last thing he wants to do is pass out on the floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How does that work again?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Señor Hueso tried to explain it to me once, but it sorta flew over my head," Leo responds, wiggling Donnie's chair when his brother grumbles in defeat, "I still remember what he said, I just don't get how it works. He said it was like a window, for me to portal through I need both panes open. My entrance is one way and the other way opens when I open the second pane, y'know. Like windows. Anyways, portal jacking happens when there's a third pane of window in the middle that suddenly opens at the same time and interrupts the flow, sending me to a different window and getting spit out the wrong way. That's why there's a small gap of time between a portal opening and closing, it's the window panes closing. A door means it's all open at once." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So you think our universes lined up at the right moment to open a window pane in both worlds?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, I guess. Like I said, it sorta flew over my head. I was mainly focused on eating the pizza before Mikey could steal it." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Draxum said we were pouring a bathtub of water into a cup when we used that," Donnie adds, pointing to the portal frame that had caused the whole mess, "I think the only place that can handle a bathtub of water is-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A shiver claws its way up Leo's shell. He did not want to go back, he didn't even want to <em>think</em> about seeing that place again. They may have won, but the ground was almost tainted by their blood in the process, "the Crying Titan."</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So there were a few 2012 easter eggs hidden in this fic if anyone wants to try and point them out</p><p>Also insomniac Leo? Love it, but I wanted to shake it up a lil bit.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Play Nice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I need beta readers or something so people can give me chapter titles because the ones I pick are just... not it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Donatello was absolutely seething when he appeared in the dojo, ignoring Michelangelo's questions about what was wrong. Even Leonardo seemed taken aback by Donatello's entrance, not used to seeing the purple banded brother outside of the lab when he was in the middle of a big project. He seemed even more shocked when Donatello specifically asked to spar with Raphael, Michelangelo trying to not take offense to the request. The only time any of them specifically requested Raphael was because something outside of the family was bothering them greatly and the only person who could take the hits and not feel targeted by it personally was him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So Michelangelo took a seat on the mat, shooting Leonardo a quizzical and nervous look. Clearly something had happened back in the lab that Donatello didn't seem open to talk about. Did Donnie say something wrong? Michelangelo hadn't had a chance to really speak to the genius turtle besides the first time they crossed paths in the beginning and at the time he seemed rather harmless. Maybe a bit passive aggressive and sarcastic, but Donatello was no different, using sarcasm to cope with stressful situations. He would try talking to Mikey later, if the orange turtle had a similar role to Michelangelo in his own family, he would definitely be speaking to Donnie at some point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the other hand, this family seemed to not have a designated therapist- they all seemed rather open to each other when it came to emotions. Michelangelo tried to wrap his head around the idea of Donatello speaking to Raphael about... emotions, but the image didn't make any sense. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The pair had barely begun to circle each other when Mikey had appeared in the doorway, bouncing on his toes to share the good news that Donnie had figured something out to solve the portal situation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello's grip on his staff seemed to tighten at that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that's how Michelangelo had found himself sitting between Donatello and the other Leo around the table from their first night. Mikey was still on Raph's shoulders like last time, except Raph seemed less focused on making sure his youngest brother was safe and more on Leo, who was resting his head against crossed arms on the table, the snapper rubbing his shell like it was second nature. Leo looked ready to pass out, eyes half lidded and bottom half of face hidden behind his arms, but Michelangelo could see the tiny quirk in his eyes that indicated a tired smile when he looked down at him in concern. The other Donnie was at the end of the table, tapping away at his wrist band thing as some purple drone hovered around his head, red face reading over his shoulders. A quick introduction to Shelldon was given, the drone referring to them all as 'the other bros' in a voice that remind Michelangelo of a typically New York skateboarder. He distantly remembers Leo mentioning the drone trying to kill Donnie, but he couldn't imagine such a harmless looking thing doing any damage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the other hand, Mikey seemed pretty harmless too, yet Michelangelo had witnessed the smaller turtle somehow managing to flip Raph over his shoulder like he weighed nothing.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why are we here again?" Raphael demands gruffly, sitting across from Michelangelo and leaning dangerously back on his seat. He fixes it however when Leonardo tips the seat back and shoots him a scowl, Leonardo only rolling his eyes in response. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I think we solved the portal issue, or at least enough to create a solid plan," Donnie explains, Michelangelo turning to congratulate Donatello only to see that he was still very angry. Maybe the 'we' didn't include him, "Leo figured out that the portal isn't a door- it's a window. For a few seconds our universes were lined up and the two panes of glass were opened which allowed you four to enter. To go back, we just need to reopen that portal again, and we may not even need to get a portal on your side open if we use enough power." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Didn't the power you used last time destroy your lab?" Leonardo points out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie looks to his left, "yeah, but there's this place where the center of Yokai energy is strongest- we can access the portal there and it'll support itself drawing from the Yokai source. No destroyed labs this time." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You looked to your left," Donnie blinks at the blunt statement from Raphael, the turtle in red having his arms crossed as he turned his gaze to Donatello, "Donatello always looks to the left when he's hiding information." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm not Donatello," Donnie responds, but there was a tone in his voice that came across as cold and angry, his eyes narrowed in Raphael's direction, "at least I'm not your Donatello." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo's gaze flickers between the two Donnie's, seeing that both looked extremely agitated at Raphael's statement. Clearly something had happened between them that made Donnie hate getting compared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He is right though," Leo mutters tiredly from his spot, "you look to the left when you try to hide something. That's why I always win at Bullshit." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No I don't," Donnie denies, but at the gaze sent his way by Raph he rolls his eyes, "fine. We have to go back to the Crying Titan." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo snorts from his spot on the table, but it was a sarcastic and unamused response. Mikey and Raph share a nervous look, Raph pausing his shell rubs to pat Mikey's knee assuringly. Clearly the Crying Titan was a grim reminder of something dark in their past, the use of the word 'back' meaning this wasn't the first trip there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What do you mean by back?" Leonardo questions, also not missing the use of that word. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie shares a look with his two awake brothers, Leo's eyes now fully closed. A silent conversation is carried between them before Donnie shrugs, averting his gaze back down to his wrist tablet, "that's where we fought Shredder." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A ripple of understanding runs down the table. No sane person would ever want to return to the battlegrounds of their worst fight, so Michelanglo felt a nag of sympathy for the smaller turtles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"... is that it?" Raphael asks, eyes roaming the table with an annoyed expression. Although to be fair, when was he not annoyed, "you pulled us from training to give us a location, not an actual plan?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's the start of a plan," Donnie quickly corrects, narrowing his eyes at Raphael, "I just thought I would be oh so kind and give you all an update since we actually managed to get somewhere with the research." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"A start of a plan is not a plan, but you guys wouldn't know that, would you?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What's that supposed to mean?" Raph demands, an edge in his voice. Michelangelo kicks Raphael's shin under the table, trying to convey a reminder that their Raph was seven feet and his Raphael was just breaking five feet. He could probably fold Raphael if he got angry enough. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Of course, either Raphael didn't care about that or was too blind to realize it, "it means you guys seem disorganized and chaotic, you don't act like an actual team," he accuses, pointing a finger in their direction, "you're all immature versions of us." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Raph, they're two years younger than us, reel it back a little bit," Leonardo warns, but Raphael didn't look ready to stop, still focused on the three turtles on the other end of the table. Donnie was watching him with an annoyed, but bored expression, not seeming to really care about Raphael's opinion of them. Raph looked a bit hurt by the claims, leaning back slightly with a pained expression and Mikey just looked concerned, head tilted to the side, like he knew that Raphael's anger wasn't actually directed at them. Michelangelo knew he was just frustrated by how these kids reminded them all so much of how it was like before the pain just got to be too much for them all to handle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He appeared ready to throw another claim about their team being dysfunctional and unorganized, but stops with a surprised yelp, a hand slapping against the back of his neck. He twists around eyes scanning around him before picking something up off the floor and flinging it onto the table. Michelangelo recognizes the jester on the front of the card, the joker of a pack, "which one of you idiots threw this?!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You call us idiots yet claim we threw it even though you were watching us this whole time," Donnie mutters, Raphael's head snapping up in his direction, looking livid. Donnie seemed unbothered by the unspoken threat, Shelldon whirring a bit louder with an angry pixelated face behind him, his battle shell releasing a click like something was activating. Donnie's own version of a threat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo sees Leo's fingers shifting in the corner of his eyes, looking down to see him tucking them back under his arm, haw sliding away to show his pupils again. Michelangelo averts his gaze quickly to not give away the true culprit of the card attack (however he was curious how Leo managed to pull it off). </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael genuinely looked ready to take Donnie up on the challenge, but Donnie's shell phone releases a loud blaring noise, cutting through the tension and stealing everyone's attention. The soft shell frowns, accepting the call to be immediately bombarded by someone's loud voice, dropping the phone on the table as it shakes from the force of the yelling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"YOU OPENED A TRANS-DIMENSIONAL PORTAL AND NEVER THOUGHT TO TELL ME!" a female voice shrills through the speaker, Raph sending an accusing glare to each of his brothers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Who told her, I thought we were keeping that a secret!" He hisses, jumping as the voice starts up again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"A SECRET? Honestly Dee I was hoping more from you, I thought we were friends," the voice says mournfully, Donnie giving the speaker an offended glare as if it could convey itself through the airwaves. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't guilt me, April, it was Raph's idea," Donnie explains sourly, Michelangelo straightening up at the name. This was their April? She seemed to have a bit more... spunk compared to the one back home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm coming over after school, and I'm bringing a beach ball AND Mrs. Cuddles, Mikey, sweetheart, thank you so much for telling me about this, Donnie and Raph you're dead to me. Leo's on thin fucking ice," at that April hangs up, Raph and Donnie looking very scared at her threat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Apparently a beach ball was far more terrifying than <em>Raphael</em>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Can we not bring over an April," Donatello questions nervously, anger driven from his mind at the prospect of seeing this universe's version of his long time crush. Michelangelo was curious as to if this Donnie was successful in creating a relationship with this April, but another part of him knew that it would hurt Donatello to see that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A much larger part of himself wanted to see Donatello freaking out. Apparently he wasn't alone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, we are definitely bringing their April over," Raphael states with a lopsided grin, Donatello slouching in his seat. Leonardo also had an amused look on his face, all three brothers wanting to see Donatello squirm like he did back when he first met April. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And just like that, the brewing fight was forgotten, Donnie and Raph arguing over how to stop the beach balls and Mrs. Cuddles before April can release them and Leonardo and Raphael making jabs at Donatello who was definitely turning a shade of red. Michelangelo can hear Mikey releasing a relieved sigh above him, knowing that he had timed that text for this exact reason. It was the same tactic he would use back in his home. Leo straightens up beside Michelangelo, still looking very tired as he slides the deck of cards under his arm back into his pocket, excusing himself quietly to collapse on the couch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <strong>《{•}》 </strong>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph taps his fingers nervously, eyes going between the door and quiet TV as he waited for April to visit. She wouldn't actually bring Mrs. Cuddles, right? Everyone else knew that thing was a demon by now, and besides he was over that little fear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He thinks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He kinda realized it was sorta stupid for him to be scared of a puppet, especially after facing Shredder. Some nights he gets shaken awake by Shredder ripping through his mystic form and his claws making their way into his chest. Other nights he just isn't fast enough to cover Donnie, like the first time he failed his brother. Those nights hurt more than Shredder killing him- maybe because it was his job to protect them all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph's eyes slide over to Leo's sleeping form and he relaxes slightly, reminding himself that his brothers were all here and they were all safe. Mikey was balancing on the edge of the couch, not crushed under rubble, and Leo was finally resting after days of being awake, not being held aloft by his head in Shredders claws, his other hand poised to strike through his form. Even Donnie was in the living room, typing on his laptop instead of the computer in his lab, more so to calm Leo than Raph, but he was safe, body not broken under Shredders foot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Originally Raph wanted to move Leo to his room, not wanting his brother to get a kink in his shell from sleeping in an awkward position, but the slider had refused, waking up right as Raph had picked him up and rolled out of his grip. He said he was fine to stay on the couch, but Raph knew it was just because he would be able to see them if he woke up in the middle of another attack. Leo had even managed to guilt Donnie to move his workshop downstairs as he continued his research, the soft shell leaning against the couch so Leo could let his hand brush against his twin's arm. He didn't ask for that specifically, but Donnie always knew what he wanted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twin telepathy as Leo claimed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not being oblivious Donnie corrected. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph also knew that the card incident was all Leo, the slider's abilities with throwing his katanas translating to almost any object that could be thrown. He gravitated towards cards as a pack could fit easily in his belt and they proved to be very effective at annoying his brothers when he wanted attention. Raph was amazed in his skill to hide what he had done, the only reason he knew it was Leo was because Leo was the only person who could manipulate the flick of a card to twist backwards and hit someone across from him in the back of the head. Other than that, he had never even seen his brother flinch, but that was probably because he was distracted by Raphael's harsh words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Was his counterpart right? Were they still immature? He didn't think so. Maybe in the beginning they were a bit distracted. The focus was on having fun, being cool, just hanging out as brothers, but when the world was threatened, they did rise to fight it. They trained in the Hamato way, unlocked Ninpo, and even managed to defeat Shredder <em>twice</em>. They weren't kids anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Right? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other turtles did seem so much more mature, but Raph could see that it came at a cost. They all looked so... tired. Like everyday was a constant battle and they never had the chance to rest weary bodies. Their shells were scratched and chipped, skin criss crossed by thin white lines and large gashes of grey. He didn't think he ever saw them relax, their bodies always coiled and tense like at any second they would be attacked. It looked like a very dark way to live. Facing each day as a fight and not a new beginning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph is broken from his thoughts by Splinter's snoring, the rat lulled to sleep by the commercials on TV as he lays curled up on his seat. Didn't they mention losing their father as well? Leonardo had collapsed when he first saw the father of this universe, crying in a way that made Raph's heart ache as he pulled his brothers away to give the family privacy, knowing that this moment was not theirs to see. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph didn't want to imagine a world without his father. In the past he may have been distant, but in the previous months, he had truly stepped up and accepted the role thrusted on him against his will. Raph knew that Splinter's distance was driven by his own fear. He had seen it in his memories, watching as a rift formed between him and Sho due to overbearing parenting and the burden that took his mother. He clearly wanted to avoid the same fate with his sons, but went too far in keeping them away from responsibilities. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was different now though, and that's all that mattered to Raph. The past was the past, he can't change it no matter how much he ached. What was lost is lost and all he can do is keep his brothers moving forward so they don't get dragged down by the chains of pain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His head snaps to the door as April finally arrives, looking just as pissed as she sounded on the phone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"A trans-dimensional portal-" she begins, stalking over to the pit when she finds the turtles. Raph makes a shushing motion with his finger, pointing to Leo's sleeping form so April knows to lower her voice. Her expression softens, but not before sending a pointed glare in Donnie's direction and launching her bike helmet at his face, the soft shell cursing loudly as he didn't have time to move and rubbing his nose, Mikey waving cheerfully from behind him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I was sitting at home doing stupid biology homework, while you were creating rifts in space and time," she hisses, pointing a finger down at Donnie. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Raph told me to keep it quiet," Donnie mutters, turning his attention back to his laptop after making sure Leo was still asleep and readjusting his blanket. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph scowls at his younger brother, not happy about being thrown under the bus like that, "I wanted to keep it quiet for now in case there were any... adverse effects to having more than one version of us," he explains, scratching his head as he realizes that there technically were adverse effects, "which, there were. Apparently the universe is going to 'balance itself out' so we wanted to avoid dragging you into this problem and worrying you." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Awe, Raph, I'm always going to worry," April responds, placing a hand on his massive shoulder and smiling warmly. However a dangerous glint takes over her eyes and the grip on his shoulder tightens, "However, if you <em>ever</em> hide something like this from me again, I will kick your ass." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Raph, please hide something from her again," Donnie pleads, muttering a long string of curses afterwards as Leo flicks his forehead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hi April," he greets tiredly, not moving from his spot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, I'm sorry for waking you," April apologizes with a wince, Leo just humming in acceptance before rolling over to probably fall asleep again, "so... where are the new turtles?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I think in Raph's room, we set them up in there for now," Donnie explains, shifting into a more comfortable position now that Leo was no longer searching for him in his sleep, "they don't hang out around us that often."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph looks down at Donnie's observation, feelings a small ball of guilt form in his stomach. The Donnie's were forced to work together and the Mikey's just got along naturally, but him and Raphael had never spoken. That was probably more his fault- after seeing the way his counterpart treated Michelangelo, he had avoided him at all costs. Growing up he had such a hard time dealing with his emotions and being a snapper didn't help. Sometimes his animal instinct's would take over the human half and he would find himself harming his siblings in blind rage. He had done everything in his power to control that ball of anger, tired of harming the people he loved, but now that balance was threatened. What if being close to their counterparts made that mixing issue stronger? His last savage moment was only a few months ago in the sewer and it wasn't even his worst attack. He didn't want to risk any of Raphael's anger rubbing off on him in case it triggers that bad side of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn't like that side of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why not, I mean they're you, aren't they?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, you'd think that," Donnie snorts, clearly unamused by the past experiences with his counterpart, "but they don't like us and we don't like them. Simple as that." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Now hold on, I like Michelangelo!" Mikey interrupts, leaning over to poke at Donnie. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He swats Mikey's hand away sourly, "because he's Mikey, everyone gets along with Mikey. Not everyone gets along with a Donnie, just ask the witches in the Hidden City." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You destroyed their town," April reminds him, Donnie rolling his eyes in response, "any progress on fixing the portal so you can send them home?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm not sure," Donnie admits, resting his chin on his hand, "Leo figured out how the portals worked and we have an idea on where to go to set it up, but we can't get the right timings- we can only send them back when our universes line up. Draxum went to the Mystic Library to see what he can find since he knows the place better than me, and I'm trying to figure out the schematics to a proper gate." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"By yourself? I assumed having a second Donatello to bounce ideas off of would make things easier." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We put two passive aggressive, ego inflated individuals in a tight space and gave them a problem that a normal person could never hope to solve, and then let them boil," Leo interrupts, "what do you think happened?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"<em>I </em>have the ego?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's not an ego if it's true," Leo hums, sitting up now that he had a spot in the conversation. Raph frowned, not liking the idea of him no longer resting since it had only been a few hours, but the slider seemed more energized than before and less likely to snap, "I am the best so I'm allowed to claim the title." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie looked ready to throttle Leo, the slider smiling in that Leo way that makes his eyes curl up, but their fight is interrupted by Michelangelo from the second floor, "oh... you're April?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"The one and only, April O'Neil," she responds with a bow, but straightens up with a confused expression on her face, "well, I guess not the one and only if you guys have another version of me." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph looks up to see the four turtles leaning out of his room, all sharing a curious look with each other except for Michelangelo, whose face was in that twisted expression where he's about to ask something without thinking, Raph recognizing the tilted head as something Mikey has a habit of doing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <em>Oh shit. </em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why are you black?" Michelangelo asks dumbly, squealing as Raphael smacks the back of his head and sits on his shell, the younger turtle squirming under his weight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"<em>Why</em> would you ask that?" Raphael demands, Leonardo and Donatello looking equally uncomfortable by what Michelangelo had asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>April doesn't take offense, most likely assuming that- like her Mikey- the question was innocent in nature and just very, very poorly worded, "because my parents are? Or are you saying that because your April isn't black?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Our April is white," Mikey explains, voice a bit squeaky as Raphael was still sitting on his shell. He squirms a bit more violently to throw him off, clambering to his feet and taking a few steps back, arms crossed over his plastron, "oh please, like I wasn't the only one thinking that." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we were going to <em>ask</em>," Leonardo responds in exasperation, Michelangelo making a face at his tone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I just have one more question for you~" Michelangelo continues, narrowing his eyes in Donatello's direction with a lopsided smile on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello stiffens at the look and lunges at Michelangelo, hissing at him to shut up in the process. Michelangelo however, was faster, jumping on the stairwell railing and looking under his arm to see Donatello face planting on the ground, snickering loudly from his safe spot. Whatever he was asking, Donatello didn't want to hear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Are you and Donnie in a relationship?" He questions innocently, Donatello audibly thumping his head against the ground from above. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No?" April responds after a beat of awkward and confused silence, broken by Leo laughing at the top of his lungs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"April and Donnie! Holy shit, and I thought your universe couldn't get any more fucked up!" Leo chokes, falling on the ground and effectively kicking Donnie in the face, "dude! You and April?!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, NOT me and April!" Donnie scowls back, Leo's laugh muffled behind the pillow Donnie was holding over his face, the soft shell straddling his twins chest so he can't run away, "go back to sleep or something!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, well, Michelangelo has a thing for Renet so is she here too?!" Donatello exclaims sourly, climbing to his feet as Michelangelo continues to look very pleased with himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's not an insult, unlike you, I managed to get her to like me back," Michelangelo responds smugly, moving further down the railing when Donatello makes another swipe for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph relaxes as all the previous tension seems to completely evaporate in the room, everyone distracted by the small arguments occurring within each group. They were fine, and getting along again (or as well as they ever seemed to). While he wasn't particularly pleased with Raphael and Donnie's chicken fight over the plan, it was nice to see that the fight seemed to be completely forgotten. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wouldn't forget however. Raphael had threatened his brother.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wouldn't let it happen again.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>For my Raph and Leo stans starving for interactions, I swear I'll feed you too. I just feel like the four of them would be avoiding each other like the plague and get along the least. They have a lot of similarities, but how they portray those similarities differ (ei. Both Leo's show natural leadership qualities, but Leo tends to hide behind Raph instead of taking on responsibility). But I promise I haven't forgotten about those boys!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Apologies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I made a discord server! One channel will end up being dedicated to this story and have extra things ei. 'lost chapters (which are chapters I created, but later scrapped in place of what is actually posted), but it's open to anything TMNT related! You can send in fanart, post links to your fanfiction and post your cosplays so we can all hype you up. anyways, here's the link: https://discord.gg/PfSE2xJtY4 and thank you so much for all the kudos and comments! Make sure to drink some water today!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"Donnie, you're going to have to apologize before we go out on patrol tonight," Leo repeats for what feels like the hundredth time, leaning back on the bench to rest his shell on one of the tables in Donnie's lab. The soft shell continues to draw up designs for a stronger portal, paper crumpled around his feet from failed designs. When Leo whines his name again like a child, he launches the current plan at his face, knowing that the blueprint was going to fail. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm trying to work, 'Nardo," he responds sourly, grabbing another piece of paper, "you can be in here as long as you aren't being annoying." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Annoying? This is my charm," he exclaims, placing a hand on his chest and making a distraught face, "how dare you, sir." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I can't believe the one night you guys have another version of you patrolling is the one night a week I do movie night with my parents," April complains loudly from her spot on the floor, tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrates on folding the paper in front of her. Donnie can see the beginning of a paper ninja, but it unfolds from April's hands and she frowns, tossing it over her shoulder, "why couldn't you build this portal on a Monday or something." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nothing exciting ever happens on a Monday," Leo points out, April jumping into an argument about how it's canon some of the best Jupiter Jim movies are set on a Monday while Leo argues that those AREN'T the best. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie rolls his eyes and returns to his drawing board, feelings his frustration build as the blank paper mocks him. Every time he tried to sketch something out, his mind would wander back to Donatello yelling at Michelangelo and then to the depressing fact they would be stuck patrolling together tonight. He didn't want to be around Donatello in case their... essences mix or whatever. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>April's voice makes its way through his fog of thoughts and he cringes, remembering that now he had to be careful around her. Donatello had <em>feelings</em> for his April and the last thing Donnie wanted to do was catch those. His relationship with April meant so much to him- he was a proud member of the Dorky Pals for Life club and the last thing he wanted to do was create a rift between them over feelings he didn't have. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Why do all Donnie's have to have an issue with relationships, why couldn't he have his essence mixed in with a version of himself that understood social cues? Or maybe one that knew how to create proper blueprints. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie scribbles all over the paper before shoving it off his desk, letting his head thump on the table. Why couldn't he just figure it out? He was supposed to be good at these things! It was his job to fix problems, to devise a solution and say 'no probles' like it was nothing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You know, hermano, this would be easier with a second Donnie~" Leo points out obnoxiously, Donnie clenching his hands into fists and turning to his brother with gritted teeth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I know that, but I don't like Donatello," he reminds him with an eye twitch, Leo only responding with that half smile that squishes his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You think I like Leonardo? He has a stick up his ass, but you don't see me going out of my way to make him angry-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You do that without even trying." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"April, you've only been here for one day, you know nothing," Leo scolds, April pushing her glasses up with a know it all expression, "what I'm trying to say is, we have patrol in a few hours, and Leonardo wants to join us so he and his brothers can stay in a proper routine. I said yes- which I am now regretting- and you are coming with us. A break might save your brain from snapping, but it won't go well if you and Donatello are at ends with each other." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Except Donatello isn't the only one I have an issue with, you may have been half asleep, but I know you saw the way Raphael was yelling at us. I don't like him either and I made that pretty clear." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, but it's Raph. He never holds grudges," Leo reminds Donnie, lolling his head back to stare at the ceiling, "just apologize to Don for calling him stupid so patrol isn't messed up." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No!" Donnie argues, Leo giving him a curious look at his sudden outburst, "just... argh!" He groans, dropping his head into his hands, "you didn't see the way he talked to Michelangelo! He looked so hurt and I'm worried that our emotions and feelings are going to get mixed up and the last thing I ever want is to yell at Mikey like that when he wants to help! You and Leonardo are already getting stuff switched around, how long until I follow?" Donnie coughs loudly to hide the crack in his voice over the last question, his worries and insecurities bleeding into his emotions and words. Leo didn't miss it however, concern flitting across his face briefly, "how long until we all follow? Jesus, Leo, Raphael <em>hits</em> Michelangelo! What happens when Raph accidently does that? You know it'll break him, he spent years trying to fix his anger issues and now it could all get ruined because this Raphael is such a dick for no reason! What about Mikey, he's a softie sometimes, how will he react to any of us treating him the same way they treat Michelangelo!" He continues to yell, closing his eyes to keep the tears at bay. He hated this, he hated crying, he hated how some days the emotions just suddenly become too much for him to hold in and they just... erupt. He hated it when he yelled at his father at the derby, and he hates the fact he's doing it all over again, hands curled into fists by his head as he finds himself just bubbling over, "and now I have this stupid portal to fix and I know that having Donatello would help, but every time I see him all I can think about is how Michelangelo looked and how Mikey will look when I finally snap at him- </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Dee, slow down and take a breath," Leo says quietly, placing his hands over Donnie's fist. At some point he must have moved to be beside him, Donnie slowly loosening his fists when Leo squeezes them gently, "I get it, okay? I think we're all a bit nervous about these guys rubbing off on us, God knows I don't want to lose this humor in place of Leonardo's monotone, I mean imagine how bad that would be." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie sniffs, opening his eyes to see blurry paper in front of him, a few spots wet from his tears, "this is a terrible time for jokes, Leo." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's how I cope," he responds easily, releasing Donnie's hand when the white knuckle grip is finally dissipated, "look, I think we're all going to give each other a bit of slack while these guys are here, we've all realized that there may be some unintended words exchanged that we don't really believe in." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, and Donnie, if you're really worried about feelings getting all mixed up, I'll avoid the lair for the next few days," April adds, resting a hand on his shoulder, "not seeing me may help stop those romantic feelings Donatello has for his April." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, I'm not making you stay away from the lair over something that stupid, that's not fair," Donnie mutters, "besides, you're family by this point, I don't think it's possible for me to develop romantic feelings." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The three siblings sit in silence, the emotions that had drowned Donnie receding from the shore. The silence was comforting, stable, and of course Leo had to ruin it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You still gotta apologize to the other Donnie." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Leo, I'm going to strangle you." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>《{•}》 </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why am I apologizing?" Donatello demands, sitting across from Leonardo in the dojo. His face was twisted in his usually furious expression, hands gesticulating wildly to show how angry he truly was about the situation, "he was the one who called me stupid!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I mean, according to you he just called you useless, not stupid," Michelangelo points out, trying to balance one of the wooden swords on his finger, face scrunched up in concentration. His expression falls as Raphael swats it away, the red banded turtle shooting him a glare. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"This conversation ain't about you doofus, keep quiet," he snaps, eyes narrowing as Michelangelo waves his fingers in his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oooo, I'm so scared- ow! Raph, wait, I'm sorry!" Mikey squeals as his fingers get crushed in his older brother's grip, "mercy!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo sighs, pushing the peanut gallery out of his mind as he attention returns to Donatello who was staring stubbornly at the ground between them, "Donnie-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm not apologizing," he repeats, dropping his hands to his knees and curling his hands into fists. All of Leonardo's brothers were stubborn, but Donnie seemed to go above and beyond when it came to doing things 'his way', going as far as risking a mission by suddenly going solo. Getting him to apologize was going to be a long fight. Fortunately, he was stubborn as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"According to what I've been hearing, you yelled at Mikey in his lab," Leonardo argues, keeping his voice steady and calm to avoid it sounding like a lecture, "you took control in his space and you hate it when we do that- why would Donnie be different? How things run here is different from back home and we have to respect that." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why should I respect him?" Donnie snaps, "he's a kid, he's immature and egotistical and honestly they all seem to be that way. They're unfocused, untrained, they haven't done any of the things we have! Shit, Leo, I'm starting to believe their enemies are... stuffed bears or something! Mikey said their Shredder was 10 feet, but I think he's lying so they seem tougher than they are! They're Shredder is probably the same as the one from the first time we jumped universes, stupid and weak." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The demon from his nightmare is drawn from the far corner of his mind, the twisted metal and glowing eyes pressing down on his shoulders and releasing a hot breath above his head, the smell of blood hanging thickly in the air as the temperature dropped. Sharp claws dig into his shoulder, the weight making them drag down slowly as it breathes out one strangled word. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ha... ma... to </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Leo?" Donnie asks nervously, the beast vanishing just as quickly as he arrived. A shadow still remained over Leonardo however, a deep and scratchy laugh ringing in the room, "are you okay?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm fine," he rasps, looking down at the ground. It was a stupid nightmare- why was he still thinking about it? What even was that thing, something the turtles here have faced? Or just a shadow Leo had created over the years, a manifestation of something that hasn't come true? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shakes his head to clear it, ignoring the concern on Donatello's face, "we can't assume their struggles, it's not fair. Comparing trauma isn't fair in general." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What trauma?" Raphael demands from behind them, Leonardo frowning as he ignores the advice he had given Michelangelo. A glance over his shoulder showed that Raphael had Michelangelo pinned by his neck on the ground, the smaller turtle squirming in his grip to get out, "they still have Splinter. They never went to space. None of their siblings have ever gone missing or been held captive. They have scars and injuries, but based on how untrained they are, it's probably just clumsiness. Leo, you went into a three month coma- what have they dealt with that was anywhere close to being that bad? A cold?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo finally finds a way to get Raphael off, the red turtle rolling to his feet ready to wrestle again, but pauses at the somber expression on Michelangelo's face. For some reason it looked like it came more naturally than the smile he usually wore around them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <em>I'm so tired. </em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How long has Michelangelo been pretending to be fine? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"The Mikey here is 13, Raphael," he comments sourly, jumping to the other turtles defense, "Leo and Donnie are 14 and Raph turned 16 only two weeks ago. They're young- of course they act more immature than us. When we were 13 we did stupid things like reenact Space Heroes, what's the difference here? At least Lou Jitsu is actual karate instead of space lasers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Unlike you guys who decided that these kids didn't deserve the time of day, I actually talked to Mikey. They don't deserve to grow up as fast as we did and for you to claim that they have to face all the things we did to gain respect is a dick move," he snaps, rising to his feet and heading for the door. He pauses before he leaves, turning to face Donatello on the mat and glaring down at him, "you /yelled/ at me, Donatello and while I know you did it because I get hurt easily in your lab and destroy things by accident, Donnie doesn't. They aren't used to seeing how we treat each other so you can't be surprised by the fact he got defensive and closed off around you, only to snap when things got to be too much for him." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Michelangelo leaves, door slamming shut behind him, an uncomfortable silence falls over the room, none of the brothers used to seeing the youngest so frustrated and angry at them. It wasn't often Mikey got upset, let alone furious enough to slam doors. The most telling part was the fact he didn't yell- his words were measured and cold in rage. He was truly angry at his brothers and it would take a lot of work to bring back his usual upbeat demeanor. Generally a round on a video game where he won was enough to bring him back, but it's been ages since Leonardo had last heard the sounds of blasters in their lair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo was too tired to play games any more, frayed by the burden of keeping his brothers together and Leonardo had failed to notice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo sighs, turning back to Donatello. He would mend the Michelangelo situation later, right now he had to focus on the Don V Don problem, "we have patrol tonight, you two refusing to work together is dangerous. You have to at least try." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why are we even patrolling with these kids, we can go off on our own," Donatello argues, crossing his arms, "I'm sure we can handle whatever 'threats' this world has," he finishes sarcastically, playing quotations around the word threats. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We don't know what their villains look like, what if we accidently attack a friendly mutant, like their version of Leatherhead?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm sure we can figure out whose evil and whose not. Breaking the law? Probably not a good guy," Raphael mutters angrily, voice brittle as he was clearly bothered by the Michelangelo situation. Most of Michelangelo's scolding was technically aimed at him and his comparison of their struggles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo was prepared to continue the argument- maybe threatening Donatello would get him to shift his intentions- but he's distracted by the door opening. He hoped it was Michelangelo coming back, but it deflates when he recognizes the blue mask and red stripes of Leo, the slider looking between inside the room and someone hidden from their view. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're doing it," he hisses to the hidden person. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'd rather die," they reply, Leonardo recognizing the bored tone of Donnie, "this is stupid." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh my God, just get in here!" Leo snaps, grabbing Donnie who was hiding behind the wall and shoving him into the dojo, closing the door and leaning on it so Donnie can't escape. If they felt bad about barging in unannounced they didn't show it, but Leonardo was starting to realize that this family didn't seem to have boundaries. They probably walked into each other's rooms all the time without asking beforehand so of course they wouldn't think about doing it now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie was fuming, body tense as he whirled to face Leo, "You're a traitor to your own blood!" He accuses, pointing a finger at Leo's face, the slider just pushing it away with the back of his hand and an annoyed expression. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's an apology, Donnie, not Game of Thrones," Leo responds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael snorts from his spot in the dojo, Leonardo sighing at the humorless noise, "this is getting to be too much for me, I'm leaving," he says, Leo stepping to the side to give him access to the door. He's quick to take back his post however when Donnie tries to escape as well, stopping him with a palm to his forehead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"<em>Donnie</em>," he says tiredly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"<em>Leonardo</em>," he echoes in exasperation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo observes the interaction with a scrutinizing gaze, seeing how drastically deferred from his own argument with Donatello. Theirs was relatively calm, done sitting on the mats to avoid going into an aggressive stance that could heighten the tension that usually comes with a conversation like this. Meanwhile, Donnie and Leo looked fully prepared to throw hands with each other, both tense and scowling deeply, Leo pushing Donnie away from the door and closer to where Donatello and Leonardo were sitting, the former refusing to turn around and look at the two newcomers. Leonardo had made sure to place their weapons out of reach (even though physical altercations were usually at the hands of Raphael), but he could see that Leo still had his katanas strapped to his shell, cyan handles sticking out over his shoulder and Donnie's staff tightly gripped in his hands as he leaned heavily on it. The difference finally clicked in Leonardo's mind. Their counterparts had their emotions clearly exposed, not embarrassed by the raw expression on their face, while Donatello and Leonardo had been very careful to keep the true extents of their emotions hidden. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That couldn't be necessarily bad... right? Does hiding their emotions make the arguments more effective? Or does it just protect them from opening up and letting everything just bleed out? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Donatello," Leonardo says instead, turning to his younger brother. Donatello frowns, fists curling tighter on his knees as he glares at his feet. They were at a standstill now, neither Donnie budging, "please." Donatello's expression softens, not used to his brother using that word. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Are you at least going to leave us alone?" Donnie comments through gritted teeth, Leo rolling his eyes at his brother's antics. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Absolutely not, if Donatello is half as homicidal as you are, you'll kill each other before apologizing." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm NOT homicidal!" Both Donnies snap, Donatello turning to face the Leo by the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Your first response to every minor inconvenience is violence," Leo reminds Donnie as Leonardo says the name, "Vizioso." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Younger Donnie sighs in defeat, shoulders slumping before he halfway turns to face Donatello, focused on his bo versus the turtle he was supposed to be talking to, "I don't like you." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Going the wrong direction, Dee. Usually you start an apology with 'sorry', not that," Leo points out with a sympathetic cringe, probably having been a victim of this Donnie's 'apologies'. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"When have you ever said sorry." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo looks prepared to argue, but opts to look away instead, rubbing his neck at Donnie being right. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't like you," Donnie continues, "I don't like your brothers either, except for Michelangelo. You all treat us like children which is degrading and rude, and you're assholes to your Mikey. Raphael hits him, you yell at him when he wants to help, and Leonardo just let's it all happen." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo finds himself being taken aback by Donnie's observations. He did technically watch as Raphael would sit or smack Michelangelo, but that was just because it was Raphael's tough love. He couldn't change how he showed it and Raphael never had intentions of truly harming Michelangelo, he just sometimes misjudged his own strength. Along with that, Michelangelo never indicated being actually hurt by it, and sometimes he pushed Raphael a little bit too hard and deserved revenge for it. It was just them being themselves, but the other turtles wouldn't understand that- of course Donnie and misinterpreted the interaction as being... wrong. Mean in a way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But, April talked to me about other ways of showing love and said you were just protecting him in that 'Donnie is a bad boy' way. You protect Mikey by keeping him out of the lab while I have no problem risking a scratch if it means he spends time with me," he finishes, "I'm not apologizing for my actions- you are useless with mystic magic, which is expected since you have none. I hate to admit it, but I'd probably be useless in your universe with the alien tech, although that's very unlike," he mutters quietly at the end, Leo hissing his name. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Just because you have all 96 Jupiter Jim films memorized does not mean you're a master of alien tech!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's alien tech, how hard can it be?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"This is a really shitty apology," Donatello snaps from his spot, the bickering pair remembering that they aren't the only ones in the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie coughs, turning his attention back to Donatello, "regardless, I do need your help with the scientific side- designing the blue prints have been rough to say the least, and now that we're apparently ALL going on patrol, us arguing is dangerous. So..." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence overcomes the room until Leo sighs dramatically, "it's one word Donnie, just say it so we can move on." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It takes another few seconds before the word is said with a grimace, like it tasted sour in Donnie's mouth, "sorry." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That was so unnecessarily painful to watch," Leo comments dryly, ducking when Donnie strikes the spot above his head with the end of his bo, snickering from his crouched position. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo sighs, happy that at least one Donnie was mature enough to give an apology- if that even counted as one, "Donatello?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What?" He responds sharply, releasing his own sigh when Leonardo repeats his name a bit harder, "I'm sorry for yelling at Michelangelo in your lab and freaking you and Mikey out- that's just how we act at home and adjusting to how you guys are is like a 180. You can't expect us to change how we care for each other to protect you." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie looks prepared to say something back, mouth slightly open as his eyes narrow, but he bites his tongue when Leo says his name softly and shakes his head, "fine," he replies bitterly. The room still felt cold and there was a large canyon separating them all, but Donnie is the first to build a bridge, "Draxum find some information for us," he explains, averting his gaze from Donatello, however Leonardo does note the way Donnie used the word 'us'. Donatello doesn't miss it either, head perking up slightly at the implication that they may work together again, "I can explain the mystic magic behind it if you're willing to help me design the blue prints." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A pause from Donatello, but Leonardo knew he was just doing it for dramatic effect. The chance to show his skills with blueprint designing and the promise to learn more about this universe was just too tempting for him to turn down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, I can do that," he replies, rising to his feet. Some of the tension in Donnie's shoulders oozes out, the battle shell shifting downwards as he relaxes. He was probably expecting Donatello to stay angry- after all they were the same person which means he was probably aware of how stubborn they could get, going as far as holding grudges for long periods of time. He could tell that the pair were far from being friends, but he also knew that they would put their feelings aside in favor of logic. Working together will create faster results, and that's the priority, not them being friends. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo can feel his own tension releasing as they leave, a deep sigh drawing from his chest now that one issue had been solved. If Leo was telling the truth, patrol wouldn't be for another five hours, which gave him more than enough time to try and mediate- even if the sounds of lasers and laughter managed to breach the dojo walls. At this point though, he welcomes it, more so when Michelangelo's bright laugh drifts through the walls as well. They were here, they were alive, and that's all that matters. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo was still in the room, he could tell without opening his eyes. The slider had a presence, even when he was silent. It was a vibrant blue that radiated false confidence to hide the layer of grey festering underneath. Whether or not his brothers were aware of his façade was yet to be shown, but Leonardo recognized the aura was not that much different from his own. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He opens his eyes to look to the door, seeing that Leo was analyzing him as well, face blank and emotions unreadable. Leonardo couldn't help but wonder if all the brothers had that grey shimmer, or if Leo carried that burden alone. He waits to see if his counterpart wishes to speak, but he leaves without a word, leaving Leonardo alone with his thoughts.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The mikey's are currently making a google slides presentation on how to get along with your counterparts.</p><p>also ALSO I wrote an AU of my own version of the turtles. It's science/military based and the turtles are all different species and as a motivator, Leo is a 7 foot tall leatherback sea turtle. Mikey is a hawksbill because their shells can glow, Raph is a mata mata turtle and Donnie is a ringed map turtle. If you could check it out, that would mean the world to me- however I completely understand why you wouldn't. Supporting this story is more than enough and I am so happy other people are loving this story as much as I adore writing it. Have a good day everyone!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Pa-Trolling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Big thanks to imdummy for being my newest beta reader! It was fantastic having your help with this chapter and I hope it's up to standards :)</p><p>Another thank you to my discord server for giving me the title name, definitely in the top three for favourites. Paw Patrol was a runner up lol.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Leonardo places his foot on the ledge, ready to leap off and follow after their younger counterparts, but something makes him pause, hesitating for the briefest second before putting his feet back on solid ground. He recognized that cold, gut-wrenching feeling, a hollow sensation in the chest that sent a tremor through the body like a freezing breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was <em>scared</em>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Of course, that didn't make any sense at all. He never had an issue with traveling over rooftops, the action now being second nature. If anything, he felt safer travelling this way, it kept him off the ground and he could see more when buildings weren't cluttering the view of the horizon. It wasn't like suddenly jumping dimensions made the activity a challenge or threat- sure this New York was a bit brighter, more alive during the night, but it was still the concrete jungle of his home, the sounds of subways and vehicles broken by voices calling to each other, the breeze carrying that scent of smog and whatever street food vendors were packing up for the night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So, why was he suddenly terrified by the prospect of jumping, feeling dizzy anytime his eyes lowered enough to see the drop? It was never an issue, even as kids - he had a habit of climbing places he shouldn't be, giving Splinter a heart attack whenever he managed to reach the cupboards. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Leo?" Michelangelo asks hesitantly, placing a hand on his older brother's arm, "Are you okay? You haven't moved for a while." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh..." Leonardo shakes his head, pushing the fear aside. It was a freak accident, that's all. Once he cleared the roof, it would fade and he could put it behind him. He wasn't scared of something as trivial as heights, "I'm fine." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could feel the eyes of his remaining two brothers drilling into his head, both of them just as confused and worried as Michelangelo. It wasn't often Leonardo found himself faltering, so the moment was off putting for them all. Their counterparts seemed indifferent, waiting on the other side for them with impatient expressions varying in degree. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He clears the jump, but not without a racing heart, hand going to his chest as it thunders at a rapid pace. His brothers land beside him, all sharing a look at the uneasiness visible on Leonardo's face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Having some issues?" Leo questions, stretching his hands over his head. He winces as an audible crack rings from his back, frowning as he rubs his shell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm scared of heights," Leonardo explains bluntly, their counterparts all sharing a look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry to hear that," Raph responds, "if it's any comfort, I used to be scared of Mrs. Cuddles, but I got over it." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, the issue is that I'm not scared of heights," Leonardo continues narrowing his eyes at Leo, "someone else is. I've never dealt with a fear of heights before." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Me?" Leo gasps, placing a hand on his chest in offense, "I'm not afraid of heights, maybe jumping dimensions made you finally acknowledge your fear." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm not scared of heights," Leonardo repeats, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes down at Leo. The slider's arrogant expression does not change, a smug smile curled on his face as Leonardo grapples with the reality that this kid would be lying through his teeth to hide his fears, "but you might be. Remember, we're sharing essences? I already got your nightmares, what's the difference with fears?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo takes a step back, balancing on the ledge as he crosses his arms behind his head, still wearing that expression that oozes confidence, "Ah, but hermano, I'm not scared of heights, see?" He explains, and leans backwards, falling from view as his brothers all vary in panic, and race to the ledge. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They relax however, and Leonardo isn't surprised when Leo reappears, climbing back over the ledge. He was used to the kid's dramatic flair and was expecting him to do some over the top act to prove his point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"New rule, no more falling backwards off high things, Raph did it once and that's more than enough for me," Donnie demands the second Leo is safely back on the roof, the slider only shrugging nonchalantly in response. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turns back to Leo, brushing off his brothers' annoyance like dust and placing a hand on his shoulder, "Like I said, no fear, so this feels more like an issue and not an iss-me." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo releases a muffled yell when Raph wraps a hand around his face at the pun, pulling him away from Leonardo as Mikey and Donnie look absolutely disgusted. Leonardo felt the same way, a shimmer of anger building up inside of him at how Leo was able to twist the truth. The kid was clearly more manipulative than he let on, and Leonardo can't help but think back to that blank expression on his face when he wasn't hiding his thoughts and feelings behind a sarcastic smirk. He apparently wasn't a leader in the past, as seen by how he still remained quite immature on patrols; but like that blue aura of the grey, was it all an act to hide his true potential? Scared of responsibility as he was of heights? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo looks to his left when Raphael nudges his shoulder, tilting his head to a more secluded spot to talk, most likely with intentions to complain about the younger counterparts. Leonardo was right. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I can't patrol with them," Raphael admits once they're out of earshot, the four colourful turtles crowded around Donnie's screen as he types away. Michelangelo and Donatello were looking between the two groups, sending Leonardo a confused look at the sudden separation. He waves his hand to tell them it was fine, turning his attention back to Raphael as he continues his complaint, "It's been five fucking minutes and Leo has already said a pun that makes <em>me</em> want to jump off a roof. That's worse than your stupid Space Hero speeches. Better yet, I should just toss those twerps over board and help the universe out a little bit." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo rolls his eyes, knowing that, like Leo, Raphael could be dramatic at times too. "You don't mean that." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I do. And I'm serious about not patrolling with them. They're just going to hold us back, and I bet you my drum set that right now they're watching Vines," he assumes sourly, making an 'I told you so' face when a laugh rings across the roof. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I think it's Tik Tok- I overheard Mikey explaining it to Michelangelo," he adds quickly at the end when Raphael gives him a judgemental look, "Raph, look, this isn't our universe, we don't know what the mutants look like, or who’s good and who’s bad. We can't risk attacking the wrong person." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Then let's go back," he suggests instead, "let Donatello fiddle with the portal more." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo bites back a groan, mentally preparing himself for more arguments with his red brother. If this was an indicator for how the night would go, it would be a drainer. "You heard the Donnies. The portal is done- they're reinforcing the first one to sustain the power of the empyrean, which will only take them five minutes and Draxum found a book stating that the best time to try again is in a week. There's gonna be a... comet or something I think. I don't know, it's the Donnies, they talk really fast. Regardless, we aren't going to hide around in the sewers those seven days, we have to stay vigorous." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, in that case, it's your fault if I hang Leo off the side of the building by his ankles," Raphael threatens, stalking away as anger radiates off him in waves. Leonardo doesn't bother trying to hide his groan this time, running a hand down his face as he rejoins the group. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe splitting up would be a good idea- even if it meant mixing the teams. He could go with Raphael and keep an eye on him and his brother seemed to have less issues with Mikey and their Raph. He trusted Michelangelo and Donatello enough to not murder their counterparts if they got sent off with each other. Along with that, the antics of their counterparts grated on his nerves. They didn't seem overly serious about the patrol, it's been maybe 10 minutes now and all they've done is watch something on Donnie's screen and scold Leo for his dumb puns. He couldn't decide what was worse- someone screaming turtle power or stale jokes every three seconds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Leo, would we cover more ground by splitting up?" Leonardo asks, ignoring Raphael's relieved sigh, "even if that means putting two with two?" He also ignores Raphael's groan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo quirks a ridge at that, leaning heavily on Donnie who tries to shake him off, "I don't know if that's smart, you guys don't really know who the good guys are here. What if you accidently jump Bullhop? Or a Yokai?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Isn't he back in Canada?" Raph questions, immediately derailing the conversation. That was another thing that would end up grating on Leonardo's nerves- the kids' inability to remain focused on anything longer than three seconds. It was like dealing with four Michelangelo's at once. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Back on to the topic of splitting up," Leonardo attempts to restart, putting a hand up to stop Michelangelo from asking about the magic hippo and sending the conversation further down a path he wasn't interested in, "can Donnie link up all our T-Phones? We can separate into our actual groups and if we see something suspicious, we'll call you guys before intervening." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why do you even want to split up?" Mikey hums in question, looking to be more focused on the graffiti on the building beside them then the actual conversation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Because we're 'kids' and they think they're better than us," Donnie mutters, Mikey blinking and turning to Leonardo with a hurt expression, waiting for him to deny Donnie's accusation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Leonardo doesn't- Donnie was right. That was exactly why they wanted to split up, and if they took offense to that, maybe it would be the kick they need to start treating stuff seriously. Mikey was the only one who seemed hurt by the belief, the other three must have come to the conclusion that they were viewed as children a while ago and were expecting that issue to come up on patrol at some point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Considering the fact we all defeated Shredder, I don't think it's an accurate claim for you to think we're lesser," Leo remarks coolly. He still had that smile on his face, but Leonardo could see the sharp edge of anger hidden in the quirk, challenge clear in Leo's narrowed eyes, "we just run things differently here and if it's too much for you to handle, feel free to go back to the lair. I'm sure you guys can keep yourselves busy in the dojo." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Too much to handle?!" Raphael echoes, now standing beside Leonardo as he glares angrily at the other leader, "what's there to handle? From what I've been hearing, your biggest enemy was a magician." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Actually Shredder was our biggest enemy, I don't know why you made Hypno jump like 20 spots," Donnie points out, leaning on his bo. He too had the same challenging glare as Leo. Shelldon was nowhere to be found, opting to stay in the lair to avoid overcrowding, but Leonardo was sure that if the drone was here, he would be hovering behind his creator like back at the table. Somehow in this universe, the usual passive Donatello was more aggressive than Raphael when it came to confrontations, "We're not kids." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Fine, then let's pretend for 30 seconds you guys aren't kids. Instead you're just immature, pathetic excuses of us-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Raph!" Michelangelo snaps from his spot, wearing the same expression from the argument in the dojo, "Shut up!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shove it, Mikey!" Raphael fires back, refusing to look away from Leo. The slider seemed unaffected by his words, but something shifted in his expression with Raphael yelling at his younger brother, that edge of anger becoming much more prominent, "I'm not patrolling with you idiots!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You done having your little temper tantrum?" Leo asks, voice measured and calculated. There was a slight twinge of a joking tone in his words, but Leonardo knew it was fake, a blue shimmer over sharp grey remarks. He can hear Donnie muttering something about a classic Raph versus Leo fight, but now introducing trans-dimensional personalities. Raph V Leo squared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We are not pathetic versions of you because we aren't you- we're us. We're different people, and if you claim we're immature, that just means you're boring. You are over confident, arrogant, and fueled by anger and rage," the joking twinge is gone now, fading with each word Leo delivers, "you guys barely act like a family, let alone a team. Now that's pathetic." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael snarls at that, looking ready to tear into Leo, but a shadow falls over them, Leonardo forgetting how large Leo's Raphael is. The snapper was standing behind Leo and Donnie, a good foot and a half taller as his form is blotched out by the moon behind him, white haws reflecting the street lamps below them as he looks down at Leonardo and Raphael, his stance tense and imposing. He doesn't move or even utter a sound, just standing behind his brothers, but Leonardo understood the message. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Like Raphael, this Raph was the protector in the family. To get to Leo, you had to go through him first - and Leonardo wasn't ready to risk his 5'6" brother getting smashed into the ground by a 7 foot tall beast, especially if the needless violence could be avoided. He places the back of his hand on Raphael's plastron to silently tell him to stand down, turning to Leo with his other hand raised in what he hoped looked like a calming message. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's clear we're at odds right now. Can the Mikey's trade phones? If we see a situation, we'll take a photo with his camera and send it to you and you can tell us if we can intervene or not. If anything happens that we can't control, we'll hit the panic button. And if you guys need our help for anything, just tap the center of Michelangelo's screen to send out a distress signal." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo considers the offer for a second, silence pressing down on them all as tension builds. His brothers were waiting for his command, any sort of indication that the situation would be escalating and Leonardo knew his siblings were doing the same. He didn't want a fight, it was needless violence when deep down he knew they should be working together. On the other hand, he was tired of being around his counterparts and could tell that his brothers were getting worn thin as well. It wouldn't be long until someone snapped and maybe separating for the night could delay it until they get home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo wordlessly tilts his head in Michelangelo's direction, Mikey taking a second to unclip his T-Phone and hand it off to the other Mikey, clearly upset by the interactions and knowledge that they had to seperate. Mikey couldn't be dumb enough to think they could ever be friends- they were just too different- but he was likely holding on to the hope that they would get along. That apparently wasn't even an option, as seen by the antics on the roof. There was a frown on his round face as he accepted Michelangelo's phone, but it fades slightly when Michelangelo rubs the top of his head affectionately. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Just stay in the Jersey area or something," Leo states dryly, waving a hand over his shoulder as his family leaves, bounding over rooftops, "no one good comes out of there," he adds with a snicker, disappearing with his siblings as his blue tails duck behind a wall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their laughs fade with the sound of cars and distant chatter, carried away by the wind, while Leonardo and his family remain in silence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael curses loudly when Leonardo suddenly strikes one of his nerves, collapsing to the ground as the leader glares down at his slumped form, "Stop picking fights with them." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Picking fights?" Raphael snaps back, fingers twitching as he tries to fight off the numbness Leonardo had caused in his limbs. It's slow going, but he's finally able to shift enough to stare up at the stars, "I'm just saying what we're all thinking. It's not my fault if it hurts their feelings. Besides, if this escalates to a fight, I'm not worried. What are they going to do? Scream hot soup and rush me? They're bigger boneheads than Case." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Gentle reminder that they're Raphael is seven feet and you are just barely scratching 5"5'," Donatello mumbles, ignoring the glower from Raphael, "while I am as equally confident that we would win, I would prefer not to fight. Just because I'm a chaotic neutral does not mean I'm pleased with the idea of beating up a fourteen year old." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael grumbles some more as he climbs back up to his feet, sending Leonardo an irritated glare as he rubs the nerve spot he had pinched. Leonardo breathes a sigh of relief now that they were separated- the tension had slowly dispersed as their counterparts got further away, but there was still a lingering sensation of anger in the air, and it was coming from the youngest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo was focused on something on Mikey's T-Phone, his face pinched together at whatever he was seeing. Leonardo regrets not speaking to him privately before heading out on patrol. He had intentions of smoothing over what had occurred in the dojo, but every time he went to speak to Michelangelo, he found himself hesitating. There was a brighter smile on Mikey's face whenever he was around their counterparts, laughing as he played Mario </span>
  <span>Kart</span>
  <span> against the younger versions of themselves, learning a new dish from Mikey in the kitchen as some Latin music played through the speakers, Leo covered in flour from a bag exploding in his face. Michelangelo seemed more relaxed here, happier, and it hurt Leonardo in a way he wasn't aware he could be hurt. He thought he was getting somewhere with Michelangelo after their talk that one night, but he was starting to realize that the cracks in their relationships ran far deeper than he wanted to believe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There were cracks in all their relationships, and it only seemed to crumble more each time they were around their counterparts, reminding them of what it was like before everything just became... too much. When it became easier to avoid each other instead of seeing the scars in their skin and pain in their eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mikey, if you want to go with them, I'm sure you can catch up," Leonardo points out gently, making sure to keep his tone soft to show he wouldn't be angry if he left them. Michelangelo looks up, that pinched expression fading as the screen tilts in a way where Leonardo can almost make out the image that had been bothering Michelangelo. It looked like a normal selfie of the four, but were those... suits? The screen fades to black before Leonardo can check again, Michelangelo placing it carefully on his belt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nah, it's fine," he mutters, looking away from Leonardo's concerned gaze, "everything is fine," he assures them all, turning back with an easy smile. Leonardo wasn't sure if the message was meant for them all or just Mikey, but he didn't miss the fact that his smile seemed forced, the brightness he had around his counterparts reduced to a dull copy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everything was not fine, and they all knew it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>《{•}》 </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael grabs Leonardo's forearm as he stumbles again on the roof, tightening his grip when he notes the way his older brother's hands seemed to be shaking, "This height is really throwing you off game, huh?" He questions lightly, keeping the judgemental tone out of his words. What Leonardo was feeling was out of his control, a side effect of them being in a new universe and Raphael could see how badly it was affecting him, his green skin unusually dull. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't get it, I know it's a stupid fear and one I should be able to ignore considering the fact it's not even mine, but it's just..." Leonardo trails off, looking over his shoulder at the drop, "I guess I'm no longer Fearless," he jokes lamely instead, turning to Raphael and giving him an uneasy smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael's heart squeezes painfully at Leonardo's statement, and he tries to think of something to say to ease his brother's worries because Leo will <em>always</em> be fearless and will <em>always</em> be their leader, but he struggles to find the words and Leonardo pulls his arm from his grip and pats his shoulder in thanks before continuing across the roof, leaving Raphael by himself. His hand still hovers in the spot where Leonardo's arm just was, curling in a fist after a few seconds and dropping to his side. He really hoped his brother knew that he would always be there to catch him, but at the same time he was just too scared to say it out loud. Saying that would just lead to a snowball of other things he desperately wanted to say, words that circled in his mind when he stared at his ceiling on the dark, things he ached to say to his brothers to fix what had separated them, but it just hurt less to be angry at them instead. Anger just came so much easier to him than love some days. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael pushes the frustration aside and rejoins his brothers, crouching behind a ledge as Donatello squints his eyes at something in the distance, lifting binoculars to see more clearly. Raphael didn't need the tool to see what had caught his brother's attention. Across the street was a warehouse, run down and old with a slightly caved in roof from age. The squat building was in front of the wharf, the sound of water crashing against concrete, mixing with the smell of saltwater and fish. Raphael wrinkles his nose at the latter, Michelangelo also making a disgusted expression. A white van was parked in front of the building, side door open to show boxes of paper as some massive guy started unloading. Raphael blamed it on the distance, but he could swear the guy's purple face was marked by a red shape and... fire? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don, is that guy on fire or am I seeing things?" Leonardo asks, also noticing the strange glow from the dude's head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello drops the binoculars, a grim expression on his face, "No, you are correct. And the red thing on his face appears to be a Foot." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence fills the space between them all at the words, broken by Raphael's dry humor, "Like Foot-Foot the clan we beat up on the daily or foot like he got kicked in the face?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, it's the Foot symbol," Donatello confirms, right as a flash goes off beside them. Raphael spins to face Michelangelo beside him, the youngest turtle cringing as he holds up the phone, clearly forgetting to check if the flash was off before taking the photo. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sorry," he mutters sheepishly, wincing as Raphael smacks the back of his head, "I sent the photo to Leo, he'll tell us what it means." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael snorts, "Like we're gonna wait around for your little buddies to give us the green light," he comments dryly, turning to Leonardo to hear the plan. When all he receives is a blank look, he groans and falls back on his shell, "you ARE making us wait for them to give us green light!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We don't know how things work here Raph!" Leonardo snaps from his feet, the younger brother rolling his eyes at the 'leader voice', "what if the Foot are good guys now or something?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Leo, listen," Raphael begins, sitting back up and shooting his own glare at his brother, "if you can give me one situation in which a white van parked in front of an abandoned building with big boxes being unloaded by a Foot soldier is not the beginning of an evil plan, I'll do your laundry for three months." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo pauses to consider the offer before rolling his eyes and turning back to the warehouse, knowing that Raphael had put him between a rock and a hard place, "from what I can see, the big boxes hold paper, that doesn't really scream 'evil plan'." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Maybe they do like... art and crafts?" Michelangelo suggests, gaze darting back down to the phone as the screen lights up, blue light washing over his freckled face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mikey, that's the smartest thing you've said since we got here, the Foot clan of this universe WOULD do arts and crafts as their villainous plan," Raphael agrees, "and I know that sounds like sarcasm, but I'm genuinely serious," he adds at the end when Michelangelo shoots him an annoyed glare. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Leo says that it is the Foot clan and they usually cause trouble, but not to engage. They'll be here soon to deal with it." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why do we have to wait for them, it's the Foot clan," Raphael argues, gesturing to the single occupant moving boxes, "which doesn't even look like a clan- it's been one guy this whole time. I say we go in there, kick some Foot butt, and prove to these kids that we can handle their universe. What's the worst thing that happens?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We lose the fight and we get saved by four Gen-Z turtles," Donatello grumbles, resting his head on his hand, "I don't feel like risking that possibility even if the probability of us failing is very low- they seem like the type of people who would never let it go." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"The probability of us failing is not low- it's non-existent," Raphael counters, snatching Donatello's binoculars from his hands and holding them up to his own eyes. Now able to see the warehouse more clearly, he can make out a smaller guy collecting the boxes from the massive one from the door and struggling to take them inside, arms shaking from the weight. He too had that pale purple skin and red foot mark on his face, fire dancing about his head, "the most dangerous thing has to be the fact that those guys are a walking fire hazard handling paper, other than that I'm sure we can take whatever they throw at us." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael knew that despite his rousing speech, his younger brothers wouldn't follow unless Leonardo gave the pass, "c'mon Leo. You got to be as annoyed with these kids as I am. If we defeat these guys, it'll prove that we can do everything they can do and more and maybe they'll stop acting so entitled." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before Leonardo can respond, Michelangelo introduces his own opinion, "Leo said not to intervene, and we promised them that we would listen. They barely trust now, ignoring him will only make them hate us more." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, or they'll be thankful we can actually do their jobs right for them." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't think that's how they'll see this situation." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Right, because you know everything about them being their new best friend. It's almost like you belong with them and not with us," Raphael finds himself saying, instantly wishing he can take the words back when a pained expression crosses Michelangelo's round face and he turns away. Regret quickly unspools in his chest and replaces his annoyance and frustration, as he tries to think of a way to fix what he just said. The words had just spilled out, fueled by the sickening realization that Michelangelo had <em>laughed</em> today. A true, genuine laugh that Raphael hadn't heard in a while, hadn't even noticed it was missing because Michelangelo had slowly switched into a forced chuckle to ease conflicts and the change wasn't noticeable until the high pitched one rang through the lair to Raph's room, where Raphael had found himself hiding in to avoid Michelangelo's smile. It hurt because he hadn't noticed that those things had faded, and now they were back but not because of him- because of their counterparts. And as much as he loved hearing that sound again, he couldn't accept the fact that those emotions weren't for his family. It was for the other family. And he could feel Michelangelo slipping away with each passing moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And he just shoved him further with a few words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wait, Mikey, I didn't mean-" Raphael tries to apologize, but he could tell by his baby brother's pinched expression that nothing he could say would smooth over him being an asshole. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Let's do it." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael blinks, turning away from Michelangelo to face Leonardo, "Uh... what?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I said, let's do it, but not to prove anything to the other guys," Leonardo adds at the end, narrowing his eyes at Raphael, "Leo was right, as much as I hate to admit it. We're out of sync as a team and as a family, taking down the Foot like we did in the past might be a step in the right direction. We've been doing patrols in pairs for the last couple of weeks, we need to have a fight as a team." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm just surprised that we're going with one of Raphael's plans," Donatello states dryly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael narrows his eyes at his younger brother, "What's that supposed to mean?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Rarely does Leo agree with you on something, and most times your plans are stupid." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Donnie, I'm this close to pushing you off the roof," Raphael responds, holding up his fingers in an O shape. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But your fingers are touching?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael smiles, "Exactly." before kicking Donatello's plastron, sending the turtle over the ledge. He wasn't stupid and would never intentionally hurt his brothers- there was a pile of unbroken boxes and a mattress beside the building and based on the very soft 'thud' and Donatello's cursing, he had broken his fall on those. Raphael doesn't miss the glare sent his way by Leonardo, "What? He landed on something soft, didn't he? Plus it's only like a 2 story drop and we've had worse." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Not the point," Leonardo corrects as Raphael shrugs, vaulting over the ledge to land beside Donatello who was currently standing up and rubbing the back of his shell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You okay?" Raphael questions, Donatello frowning in his direction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm fine, no thanks to you." he fires back sourly, two softer thumps sounding from behind Raph as their brothers join them at the bottom. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Great, so I don't feel bad about doing this," he replies, Donatello releasing an indignant squawk as Raphael shoves him back on the mattress, "Don't call my plans stupid." he warns. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pulls his sais out from their spot on his belt, spinning them in his fingers until the handles slide comfortably against his palms, the worn leather around the hilts feeling right at home. He could already feel the excitement thrumming in his veins at the prospect of a fight, craving some sense of normality in this world where the Foot stole paper, Raph slept with stuffed animals and Leo had a fear of heights. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Let's kick some Foot butt."</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Have an amazing day everyone and please have some water, get a bite to eat and don't forget your medicine uwu</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Why it's Illegal for Raphael to Make Plans</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Discord helped with naming this chapter again, so thank you for that. Um... so... have fun with this chapter lol</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Michelangelo slides in between Donatello and Leonardo, keeping his body low to make sure he remains out of sight of the two Foot ninjas, now able to hear their voices. It sounded like normal bickering, the smaller one having a scratchy voice that grated against his ears and the bigger one sounding much deeper. From what he could tell, they didn't notice the presence of the four other ninjas, still focused on their tasks of unloading the boxes of paper. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What it was for, Michelangelo was unsure of, but he was surprised to learn that these guys were stupid. Or maybe oblivious was the better word? They made no indication of even feeling uneasy, not detecting any abnormalities. He knew that he and his brothers were extremely skilled at remaining undetected, but it felt weird to not sense that air of uneasy most opposing ninjas would show. Any good ninja would be fully aware of their surroundings, but these guys didn't seem to care. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Were his brothers right? Was this universe easier when it came to villains and combat? He still had a hard time believing that. It was unfair of them to just assume their lives were harder without actually hearing the stories their counterparts had. He remembers being in the kitchen a few hours ago, Mikey wanting him to help with making fresh pasta. It was pretty relaxed overall- even Leo joined in at some point to blast his music, getting a bag of exploding flour in his face. His red stripes had disappeared under the sheet of white, and while he was bent over the sink to wipe it all off, Michelangelo had noticed one of his mask tails was jagged and far shorter than the other. Mikey must have noticed him staring because he taps him on the arm to quietly say the word Shredder, Leo not hearing the name over the running water. After that Michelangelo had found himself keeping an eye out for any other marks or scars hidden against the bright markings and bumps on their counterparts skin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo had more scars along his shoulders, similar to the ones Leonardo used to get when he first started using his katanas and sheathed them wrong. A circle of a scar around his right wrist, like something had been wrapped around it and yanked until the skin was torn off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Three cracks on the upper right part of Raph's massive shell that disturbingly looked like claws, his wraps taken off to eat revealing large gashes and scars on his knuckles. The bones looked mangled, like he had broken the fists a thousand times over without giving the hand a chance to heal fully.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A scar down the center of Mikey's plastron that was mostly hidden by his sash, a slash on his right bicep. His shell was scratched, like someone had dragged him across the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>April and Donnie seemed less marked, save for the usual burn scars Donatello would get in his lab and shackle marks around his ankles and wrists. He blamed it on her fashion sense and Donnie's battle shell; however he did find it strange how he wore it all the time. He could be like Leonardo- always ready to fight, katanas in reach if there was any hint of a threat, but that shell had to weigh far more than two swords. It must be tiring having it on all day, but he was yet to see the soft shell with it off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Those weren't 'clumsy accidents' as Raphael had labelled them, they were actually wounds from what seemed like an awful fight. Even Mikey, who seemed more than willing to exchange stories, grew uncomfortable at the topic of Shredder and attempted to distract Michelangelo with video games and skateboarding. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not that Michelangelo was complaining - it was nice doing those things again, more so now that he had someone to do them with - but he wasn't blind. He knew Mikey was avoiding the conversation and he was going to respect the boundaries the younger turtle had put in place. Besides, Michelangelo had seen some sort of an old soul in Mikey's eyes, a wisdom that only came from someone being in tune with their emotions and recognizing ways to grow. Mikey would talk when he was ready, and if he never did before they left, then Michelangelo would just have to fill in the blanks himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo points his fingers to the side of the building, Donatello dipping from view to inspect inside, Leonardo disappearing the other way. The two brothers had a knack for infiltration and recon, unlike Michelangelo and Raphael who were clumsy and reckless -respectively. Not so much anymore- Mikey couldn't remember the last time he hit his head off a low hanging bar while sneaking- but with his T-phone missing, he had to stay close to one of his brothers at all times. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Which, in this case, was Raphael who was currently oozing the heavy blanket of regret and anxiety. Michelangelo knew Raphael felt bad about what he said, but it didn't change the fact he was still angry at him for claiming he didn't belong with his family. It was an inner conflict Mikey had been dealing with for years, feeling like he held the team back or was just too different from his siblings to be as good as they were. He constantly felt insignificant around them, like he was a kid. Which probably explained the sympathy he had for their counterparts; he knew what it felt like to be considered lesser. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had gotten over it (or at least he thought he did), but Raphael's comment had made him 13 again and when he had to stay back hours to finally understand the moves of a kata, only to get outshined the next morning. He felt 15 again, back when his brothers refused to listen to him when he told them about the Kraang. It made him 16, when Raphael and Leonardo had called him and Donatello the 'B-Team'. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hated that icky feeling far more than that tiredness seeping into his bones- and now he had to struggle with both. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo averts his gaze when he sees Raphael's eyes darting between the ninjas and his younger brother, face pressed thin as the grip on his sais somehow got tighter. Raphael would be feeling terrible for the next couple of hours and Michelangelo was aware of that- tossing Donatello off the roof was him trying to hide the fact he was feeling bad, but now there were no distractions besides the fact they had to stay quiet. He was going to stew in his regret and Michelangelo was fine with that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could fix the problem later, right now he had to think of an excuse for when their counterparts arrive and see that they had engaged after specifically agreeing <em>to not engage</em>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And somehow </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> gets labelled as the problem child. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo and Donatello rejoin them shortly afterwards, both looking very confused. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>'Alone,' Leonardo signals, Donatello agreeing with his statement. Was the Foot Clan really just two people? Seemed unlikely. It was too easy, like a trap, and Michelangelo had a really bad feeling about the whole situation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>'Danger,' he warns, but looks away when, once again, his brothers push him aside, not paying heed to his warning. A hand falls on his shoulder, squeezing lightly until he looks back up at Leonardo. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a small shake of his head, but Michelangelo understood the message. Not pushed aside. Just out voted. He musters the strength to give Leonardo a soft smile, but it felt forced. He couldn't help but wonder if someone else had said danger, they would have left. They always trusted Donatello's plans, Raphael's instincts, Leonardo's leadership- </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Why couldn't they trust him? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pushing aside the inner conflict, Michelangelo feels Mikey's T-Phone vibrating. After the flash incident, he made sure to set it on silent mode and turn off any other alerts that may blow their cover. He hesitates when he sees that Leo was actually <em>calling</em>; answering it would surely reveal their position, so he denies the request, trying to ignore the regret curling in his stomach. He really didn't like lying to the younger turtles, but he and his brothers were in too deep now to turn back- Raphael and Leonardo already jumping to the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael lands on the roof of the van with a loud crunch, the flimsy top caving in slightly from his weight as Leonardo drops down behind the smaller ninja, startling the guy enough for him to drop the paper box on his toes and release a yowl, "Alright, listen up you flame headed freaks, either we do this the hard way or we do this the easy way, and I personally like the hard way," Raphael taunts, Michelangelo ignoring his ever growing anxiety to land beside Leonardo, pulling out his nun-chucks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo's katanas are pulled from their sheathes with a whoosh, the Foot guys sharing a look, "You guys look different," the smaller guy rasps, eyeing Leonardo's paired swords with a critical eye, "since when did you use two swords? All of you have different weapons now, except for the purple one." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence accompanies the brief confusion, broken by Donatello, "Our... weapons throw you off, not the fact we're different species entirely?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, just the weapons look weird," the other guy responds, head reminding Michelangelo of an arrow, "you guys look the same as always." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The same as always? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo finds himself sharing a look with Donatello, who also seemed to be uneasy now, hands on his staff gripping a little bit tighter. That didn't make any sense, Michelangelo knew that anyone with an IQ higher than a brick could tell them all apart- Raph was literally seven feet, no way did these guys not pick up on him suddenly shrinking to half his original mass. Something was clearly off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael laughs loudly. Of course he didn't feel unsure about the situation. "See, what did I tell you, Mikey? Idiots all around out here. What's the paper even for? Doing a little origami?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A sly smile crosses the smaller guy's face and Michelangelo feels a shiver of dread run down his spine. He had no idea what was coming next, but somehow he just knew it was bad. He had to stop it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But what was he stopping? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The small guy reveals a piece of paper from behind his back and with nimble fingers creates a little ninja, Leonardo lowering his guard slightly at how... unevil it was. "Was Raphael right again?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's a dark, dark day for us all," Donatello mourns lightly and Michelangelo panics. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was bad. This was really really bad, but he didn't know why! They were too close. Too close to what? What was wrong with this situation, </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> did he feel unsafe? It was until the guy threw the seemingly harmless craft at Leonardo that the word burst in Michelangelo's mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Paper Ninja. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn't find himself questioning why he knew the word or why he knew to be worried, he just found himself moving, shoving Leonardo to the ground as the paper expands and grows into a misshapen humanoid creature. Red eyes glare out from underneath a black hood, a red foot stamped on its face that matched the two ninjas standing behind it smugly. The rest of the garb was black as well, covering lanky limbs and sharp fingers, a throwing star tucked into the digits and ready to throw as the attacker arched downwards towards Michelangelo. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He can distantly hear his brothers calling his name, Raphael jumping on the larger guy with a snarl as Leonardo attacks the smaller one, Donatello racing to intercept the paper ninja before it makes contact with Michelangelo. For some reason, he had a feeling that Donatello's staff wouldn't be effective against the thing, a distant voice whispering to him to use a blade. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His nun-chucks clatter to the ground as he releases his grip, pulling out his tanto blade from his belt and slashing up right as the red Foot symbol takes up his entire field of view. He feels the impact of the blow, he <em>knows</em>/he hit his attacker, but the second he saw the symbol up close, something in his head just... snapped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Images flashing by way too fast for him to understand. A twisted, hulking mass of metal suspended in a dark room, a folded black uniform with the Hamato crest in his hands, a destroyed stadium, ground crumbling underneath his feet as some beast roars in the center, gaping mouth arching up to the sky, and his chest burning, plastron bleeding, his forearm flaring up in pain in response. A splitting headache suddenly erupts in his skull, flashing white light against his clenched eyes as he waits for the sensation of anxiety and terror to pass, knowing what he was witnessing was something belonging to a nightmare. It felt eerily similar to a memory. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sensation suddenly passes, as if nothing had ever happened, and his blade comes up the other side of the paper ninja, the black figure exploding into smaller paper bits. For some reason he wasn't surprised. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Confetti?" He questions, skidding to a stop beside Michelangelo when he sees the situation was controlled. He holds his hand out, frowning at the paper accumulating in his palm. "How'd you know a blade would be more effective than your nun-chucks?" He continues, Michelangelo replacing his tanto blade and retrieving his fallen nun-chucks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The images still flutter past his eyes, like a slideshow on cocaine, blurring into a smear of colours, "I don't know, I just knew. My instincts are usually right." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If Donatello noticed the bite behind his words, he didn't show it, opting to instead focus on his other brothers who were equally as lost, getting showered in scraps of paper. Raphael flips his hand over, watching as strips of paper flutter to the ground, "Right, so when I said I was going to shred them into ribbons, this was not what I meant." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That doesn't make any sense," Donatello mumbles, observing the scattered remains, "the paper ninja I understand, but those two guys were very real- how did they also turn into confetti?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You okay, Mike?" Leonardo asks, Michelangelo reaching up to rub his head. He still felt like someone had dug into his eye sockets and yanked his skull in half, but he had a feeling that saying 'I'm seeing memories that aren't mine' wouldn't be taken very lightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm fine," he replies half-heartedly, looking away when he sees the concern in Leonardo's sapphire eyes. The word <em>fine</em> had tasted bitter in his mouth, rolled up and big and sounding very, very fake. It was only last night that he finally opened up to his eldest brother about the ache in his bones and heart, and he was starting to realize that 'fine' had been his answer for a lot of things lately. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I'm fine. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We're fine. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Everything's fine. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fine. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The word tasted like a lie. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><strong>《{•}》</strong> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello felt terrible about yelling at Michelangelo. Usually he doesn't have such a bite behind his words, but with the added stress of being in a new dimension and having to fix an entire arsenal of weaponry and tech, he felt thin and frayed. His tone had shifted into an area that doesn't often twist his emotions, driven by anxiety and the fact that /he didn't understand anything/. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He prided himself on his knowledge- it was his role on the team so he <em>had</em> to know everything to be a valuable asset. He spent days pouring himself into ratty textbooks he found from dumps and tearing apart machinery and equipment only to rebuild it from scratch. Leonardo was leader, Raphael was the protector, Michelangelo was the sun, all he had left was his intelligence. Someone to heal broken bones, to build machines, to stitch up the large gash Michelangelo had gotten after Razhar bit him, to help Raphael with maintaining the Shellraiser, to make sure Leonardo takes breaks and eats after particularly hard missions since God knows he refuses to look after himself while guilt is pressing down on him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hasn't been doing a good job lately. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It just... felt safer in his lab. With the quiet hum of his machines to keep him company and the tinkering to keep his mind from wandering, working himself to exhaustion so he doesn't overthink. Even the presence of April couldn't get him out of his buried state. He couldn't recall the last time they even talked. Not the polite little talks exchanged when she came over to check on them all, but an actual conversation. Had he really drifted that far from his friends? From his family? The April here was so much different from the one at home and her relationship with Donnie went deeper than his own- even if they weren't romantically involved. Donnie had explained many times that they weren't in a relationship and he never planned on even trying for one- apparently this April had feelings for a Yokai named Sunita. Donatello had felt a twinge of jealousy at how comfortable they seemed around each other, April saying little quips to receive an exaggerated eye roll or Donnie's own passive aggressive remark back. Donnie never got embarrassed or stuttered around her, rather showing the dry confidence Donatello had started to associate with him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even April's relationship with the other turtles were a 180 compared to their own. She got in their personal space and it wasn't until he saw her pining Mikey to the ground to steal his video game controller that he realized why. In this world she wasn't a friend- she was their sister. It just blew Donatello away how differently they all treated each other, and he couldn’t help but wonder how different things would be if they had those same relationships. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But then Donnie called him useless a few hours before that and everything just crashed down around him. Useless was his biggest fear on this team, because if he wasn't smart, wasn't the genius, then he wasn't useful. If he wasn't useful, his brothers would realize that they didn't need him anymore. And in this universe, he was Michelangelo to Donnie. Mystic energy was not a concept he could understand. After he and Donnie had apologized, his younger counterpart had lived up to his promise of explaining mystic energy, but it just didn't make </span>
  <em>
    <span>sense</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He wanted math and science back, where order was calculated with numbers and lines, not fate and chaos. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So yes, he was stressed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And tired. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And jealous. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And just wanted to go home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And all that had rolled up inside of him and darkened his words and that's how he found himself <em>yelling</em> at Mikey and not just explaining why he didn't want them in the lab. Donnie's tech was unstable, more so after being trashed. He didn't want Michelangelo to touch something and have it explode in his face, but it was so hard to just say those words and show he cared. He had plans to apologize at some point, but there was never a moment where he wasn't feeling that agitated state, and the last thing he wanted to do was snap again.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So, when Michelangelo had said 'I'm fine' while looking very much not fine, Donatello had felt the floor drop from under him. All his brothers looked like shit now that he paid attention. Had they really gotten that disconnected with each other after Shredder? It was supposed to be <em>over</em>, the nightmares and the pain, but it's clear that the terrors won’t stop. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He has a feeling that he'll never have a chance to talk to Michelangelo- not with being in a new universe and having to fix the portal, there just wasn't enough time. When they get back he will. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He has to. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"The paper is disappearing," Raphael points out, Donatello looking down to his feet to see that he was right. The paper seems to curl in on itself and turn black, like something was burning it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's... burning?" Leonardo voices Donatello's thoughts, crouching down to swipe his fingers on the ground. A thin layer of ash covers the tips when he flips them over and he looks up at Donatello, "Donnie?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello was confused as to why Leonardo was saying his name, until it clicks in his head and his heart drops. He was supposed to have the answer- some sort of explanation as to what's going on. His usefulness came from <em>knowing</em>. Knowing why paper can turn into ninjas, knowing why the Foot clan had erupted into confetti, knowing why paper was burning without a source, but he didn't know. He was useless. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Usually I would blame it on the Kraang or some other alien tech, but that doesn't exist here," he answers, trying to hide his panic, "probably mystic magic. We need Donnie to explain it." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <em>We need Donnie. Not Donatello. Donnie. </em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Then let's call them, and while we're at it, we might as well tell them that we fixed their Foot issue," Raphael says, replacing his sais, "that only took like 30 seconds. No wonder their training is some video- there's no real fighting here to train for." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't even mention that training style around me," Leonardo scowls, placing his katanas back as well, "their Splinter is nice and reminds me of father sometimes, but other times..." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence finishes Leonardo's words. Speaking poorly about Splinter, no matter what universe he was from, felt wrong on so many levels. He was their sensei, their </span>
  <em>
    <span>father</span>
  </em>
  <span>; he died for them, but Leonardo was right. The moment they all shared with him was nice and offered some peace, but in the end it wasn't the same. Master Splinter was gone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It didn't change the fact Donatello felt homesick whenever he saw the other Splinter wandering around their home or lounging in front of the TV. He wanted his father back, he wanted his family back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"The warehouse, are you sure you didn't see anything?" Leonardo asks Donatello, breaking the silence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello hums, trying to remember what he saw in the shadows, "There was a stage and that was about it. No other clan members. I didn't even see the paper these guys were unpacking. Do you want to investigate?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We already overstepped our boundaries by attacking these guys," Michelangelo points out, "we can't be snooping around as well. I know you guys don't like our counterparts, but we should really wait for them before doing something else." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We're already breaking the rules, might as well mess up some more." Raphael responds, walking between Donatello and Michelangelo to slide the door open with a screech, "See? They're even unlocked. It's like the warehouse wants us to check it out. What's the saying- it's better to ask for forgiveness then permission or something stupid like that." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Leo, please," Michelangelo pleads. He was probably hoping that the honorable Leonardo would stop breaking rules, but to all their surprise, Leonardo actually follows Raphael. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's a warehouse, Mikey, what's the worst that happens? Maybe we can find an answer to why these guys turned into paper," he says, pushing the doors wide enough for the pair to slip through, "just stay alert and ready." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael and Leonardo disappear from view, Donatello turning back to Michelangelo to see a deep frown etched on his freckled face. It was so... out of place. Everything about the situation was out of place, did Leonardo just follow another one of Raphael's prompts without arguing? Raph was leader in this universe, or at least was until Leo took on the title. Was Leonardo even aware that he was following Raphael? Was Leo rubbing off on Leonardo faster than they had predicted? Donatello didn't want to imagine how strange things would be if Leonardo acted like Leo - hopefully they’d leave before it gets too bad. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"C'mon Mikey, we don't want them doing something dumb," Donatello jokes weakly, but the frown on his baby brother's face does not change. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Everything we've done tonight has been dumb," Michelangelo snaps instead, entering the building without another word. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello sighs and trails behind Michelangelo, slowly accepting the fact that there would be a lot of collateral damage tonight he would have to fix. Their counterparts would for sure be pissed about them not only taking on the Foot, but also investigating what was going on. Their agreement was easy enough to follow- he wouldn't be surprised if Leo didn't let them leave the lair for the rest of the time they were stuck here. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The warehouse hadn't changed since Donatello had peered through one of the grimy windows. Maybe a bit colder than he was expecting, but it was clearly abandoned and hadn't been used in ages. Dust hung thickly in the air and the wooden pallets and stairs were rotting and cracked. Metal ladders glinted from the streetlights that struggled through the dirty windows, and in the center of it all was a stage. The wings were open to reveal nothing was inside, but it appeared to be new compared to the ancient artifacts around it. Donatello couldn't help but wonder who put it there and why? Maybe it was for one of those warehouse concerts he had heard Casey talking about once, but it didn't explain why everything else seemed so ancient; even the floor looked as if nothing had walked over it in months. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don?" Michelangelo calls weakly, standing a few feet away and staring at the stage with wide eyes. He looked terrified, frown replaced by a look of terror as he took an uneasy step back from the center, "I really don't like this. Something is wrong." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's a warehouse, Mikey," Donatello responds tiredly, repeating the same words Raphael and Leonardo had said to the youngest, "don't be so nervous. No one has been here in months, look at all the dust. Let Raphael and Leonardo do whatever impulsive thing they felt the need to do, and then we can leave. Okay?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Dee, please, I'm not kidding!" Michelangelo says, approaching Donatello so he can grab his forearm and squeeze it lightly in emphasis. The mannerism reminds Donatello of when they were kids, before Splinter let them go to the surface. Whenever Michelangelo got really scared- usually from his overactive imagination turning a shadow into a monster- he would latch onto one of his brothers and refuse to let go, leaving little red finger marks on whoever got stuck with him being clingy. He stopped after they all turned fourteen, so for him to suddenly revert back to his thirteen year old antics was strange, "We have to leave</span>
  <em>
    <span> now</span>
  </em>
  <span>." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I-," Donatello starts, stopping as he notices Michelangelo actually shaking in fright. His eyes were blown so wide, frantic fear clear on his face as he once again pleads for them all to leave. Before Donatello can try and ease his nerves, the door slams shut behind him, making the pair jump. The building plunges into darkness as their eyes slowly adjust, Donatello squinting his eyes to see the shadowed forms of Leonardo and Raphael appearing closer to the stage, the pair comparing what they found, "look, there's Leo and Raph, we can talk to them, okay?" Donatello suggests gently, not making any indications of wanting Michelangelo to release his death grip. If it provided him with some level of comfort until they leave, he could ignore the pain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo follows Donatello, but he could still tell that he was terrified of... something. There was nothing in the warehouse to be setting that fear off however, and they defeated the Foot fairly easily. There was no reason for Michelangelo to be scared. His uneasiness was rubbing off on Donatello now, the purple turtle patting Michelangelo's hand on his arm like he used to do as kids. Some tension leaves Michelangelo's grip, but fear was still oozing off of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Guys, I really think we should go," Donatello voices, interrupting the older brothers' discussion about finding nothing. They both looked ready to argue, but their expressions soften at seeing Michelangelo's state, "I'm starting to feel like something is off too." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm never letting you two watch Annabelle again," Raphael states dryly, "you both get paranoid for weeks after." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, please, I know you're scared of that doll, too," Donatello snaps back, wincing when Raphael punches his arm in response, "let's head back and call Leo. It's weird they aren't here yet." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Probably got distracted by pigeon eating pizza," Raphael assumes, "you're really spooked by this place, aren't you Mike?" There was no bite in Raphael's words, he sounded like he was genuinely worried about how Michelangelo was reacting to being in the warehouse, "Sorry we didn't listen." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You all should have listened sooner." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello's heart stops, fear spiking so violently fast he thought he would be sick. He recognized the voice from somewhere, but couldn't put his finger on it. Regardless, the person struck fear deeply within him, every muscle in his body freezing up as his chest squeezes tight. His brothers seemed to have the same sudden terror, Leonardo and Raphael staring at something behind Donatello with wide eyes and constricted pupils, both looking more terrified than Donatello had ever seen them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That scared him far more than the voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Get down!" Raphael suddenly yells, shoving his younger brothers to the ground and landing on top of them. Donatello's head impacts the ground and he sees stars, Michelangelo releasing his arm as a purple vine arches over Donatello's vision. He distantly hears the sound of Leonardo's katanas unsheathing, but it's replaced by them clattering against the ground, the sound of shell impacting metal ringing loudly in the warehouse and making Donatello feel sick. Raphael yells Leonardo's name, looking over his shoulder, but his split second distraction is rewarded with another purple vine slamming into him, Raphael's weight suddenly off Donatello. He twists to his stomach, searching for the threat to see a tall figure step out of the shadows, dressed in blue and gold robes and face covered by a matching mask, gold horns glinting in the light. Another purple vine erupts from the ground, aiming right for Donatello and Michelangelo and his eyes widen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mikey, move!" He yells rolling out of the way as the vine narrowly misses him, Michelangelo following his lead to also avoid being snagged. He jolts to his feet, grabbing his fallen staff and Michelangelo's arm, hauling his younger brother to his feet and pulling him away. He didn't take the time to look for Leonardo and Raphael, all that mattered was getting Michelangelo out of there so they could make a plan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><em>Why</em> didn't they listen to Mikey? He knew this was all a bad plan since the beginning, but like with the Kraang robots, his brothers ignored him, brushing off his concerns. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He can hear Raphael and Leonardo shouting from behind him, but no sounds of combat, like they were both restrained. No more purple vines appeared around them, but the sound of ground erupting and the whoosh of something fast made it clear the tall person was still attempting to capture them. Donatello goes to duck behind some wooden boxes- not the best hiding place, but maybe it could lead them to a window they could escape from and call for their counterparts. As much as he didn't want them to save them, his brothers' safety mattered more than their pride. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A shadow shifts in front of them, the two brothers skidding to a stop as something massive steps from it. The darkness morphs into four spindly legs, six glowing red eyes glaring down at them as a smile curls up the spider's fanged mouth, green hair off-setting it's purple body. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Now, turtely-boos, where do you think you're scurrying off to? Big Mama still has something to say." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And at that moment, Donatello's T-phone goes off, the tone of Michelangelo's distress call ringing through the warehouse.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is like... a double cliffhanger, is that even possible?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Stolen Laundry</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>we checking in with the 2018 boys because it's been a while, so y'all gotta deal with the 2012 cliff hanger for another week lol.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"Raph, when you hit one, it multiplies into two," Donnie finds himself repeating again, pinching between his eyes as Raph holds up two silverfish mutants. He had his battle shell activated, hovering a few feet in the air to avoid getting any nibbles at his ankles, Raph forced to look up at the sound of his voice. The mutant silverfish squirm in his massive hands and nip at his fingers, but the snapper doesn't seem to notice, pausing his attempt to smash them together at Donnie's warning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Rightttt," he says sheepishly, "sorry, forgot," he apologizes, dropping them on the ground so Mikey can swoop in and rope them up with the others he had caught. A swarm of silverfish mutants had appeared in an alley during their patrol, ripping and tearing into some poor New Yorker's laundry, interrupting Donnie's conversation with Leo. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their conversation about why they were hiding the fact they unlocked ninpo. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A blue portal appears on the ground, and Mikey pushes the roped up silverfish through to send them to a mystic forest. They would be safer out there, and the people of New York wouldn't wake up to the critters trashing their clothes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The portal flickers away and Leo replaces his katanas, a small smile on his face that warns of an incoming oneliner, "Leo, don't-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Looks like these fish were gill-ty of laundry theft," he says coolly, and Mikey and Raph groan loudly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"<em>Groan</em>. I'm going to kill you," Donnie responds bluntly, turning off his battle shell to land back on the ground, "why can't some of Leonardo's boringness rub off on you so you stop with the lame puns?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Awe, you guys love them," Leo coos, Mikey making a 'bleh' face at his words before scrambling up the side of the building, Raph following behind him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Leo, wait," Donnie starts before his brother can escape as well, "you still haven't explained why we're hiding our ninpo. I've been telling Donatello it's all been mystic magic, but this seems like something we should tell them. Make them realize we're serious." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo's smile turns brittle, a slight cringe in his face as he contemplates his answer, "Why? Do you have something to prove?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie scowls, crossing his arms at Leo's words. He can sense Raph and Mikey above them, listening to the conversation. They were yet to give their own opinions, but Donnie could tell that they wanted to spill the news as well. When Leo had made them all promise to hide their ninpo seconds after their counterparts popped out of the portal, Donnie had thought he was being paranoid, but his belief never wavered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, I don't care about that, it's just weird how you want to hide it," the soft shell continues, being careful with how his words could be perceived. He usually wasn't one to shelter his brothers, but Leo's grimace made it clear that something about this situation was bothering him and Donnie wanted to tread carefully, "showing them the abilities we have seems like something you would want to brag about. I just don't get it." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo's smile falls, the sudden shift in expression making Donnie feel uneasy, "Are you all thinking the same thing?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie looks up to see Raph and Mikey sharing a look, both appearing to be on edge like him. It was rare that Leo would suddenly jump from his confident demeanor to something serious, the smirk that often trailed after his words vanishing under a cold and calculated expression. He had that same sudden shift back on the roof while arguing with Raphael and Leonardo, spinning their own words against themselves. Those moments scared Donnie because it was just more evidence that Leo had a side of himself that he was careful to hide from everyone around him. What that side was, Donnie was unsure of, and he wondered if he even wanted to know. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I mean... I would like to tell Michelangelo," Mikey mutters dropping back down to the ground and crouching on a dumpster, "seems like something he would find cool." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You wanna know how I duped Big Mama?" Leo asks, Donnie frowning at the sudden shift in conversation. It could be Leo trying to change the topic, but he still had that cold and calculating expression on his face, "She thought I was some dumb little kid trying to play in the big leagues. She underestimated me, so when I suddenly turned around and tricked <em>her</em>, she was furious. Hiding our ninpo is the same thing- right now they think we're kids. Immature, stupid kids; which sucks for sure, but is also a massive advantage. When we fight, because we <em>will</em>, we'll have the upper hand. You know, sacrificing your king to win at chess." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You could not be more wrong about chess," Donnie replies dryly, but relaxes when that 'Leo's-got-it' smile overcomes the slider's face, "How are you so sure we'll fight? And how do you know we'll even win? These guys have been to space, I don't think us having ninpo is as big as an advantage as you think- they definitely have more natural fighting experience than us." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You and Donatello were ready to kill each other in under 12 hours, Raph and Raphael were ready to throw hands literally 10 minutes ago, me and Leonardo can't stand to be in the same room together. The Mikey's are the only ones who get along- trust me, something is going to happen within these next few days and I don't want to play our entire hand before then. And, I think we can win because I have <em>faith</em>, unlike you." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't want to fight them," Mikey says quietly, "they seem like they've fought enough. They all look so tired." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph rubs Mikey's head in sympathy, but no one makes the promise that a fight wouldn't happen. Mikey didn't deserve to be lied to, and even if they tried, they all knew the orange turtle would see right through it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How do you know they didn't unlock ninpo like us?" Donnie asks instead, Leo shrugging in response. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I mean, I can't be sure, but ninpo is all about being connected with each other- not being alone. They haven't been connected in a while, there's no way they unlocked ninpo with how distant they all seem to be," Leo explains, raising his arms slightly in one of his signature shrugs, "you guys worry too much. I know what I'm doing." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Right, like that time you portalled us to Tahiti," Donnie reminds him, Leo gasping loudly in offense and pointing a finger at his twin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I was portal jacked- had nothing to do with my skills," Leo defends quickly, waving his finger in Donnie's face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie rolls his eyes, pushing Leo's hand away with the back of his own, "What skills, your portals never worked back then," he ignores Leo's angry huff, expression softening slightly, "if you think us hiding ninpo is smart, we'll do it." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Of course we will," Raph echoes, hoisting Mikey back up to the roof, grabbing the fire escape to follow him, "we trust you." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A flicker of some emotion crosses Leo's face, Donnie unable to place his finger on it. It looked like a mix of doubt and worry, his smile wavering slightly under Raph's words. Donnie knew that Leo sometimes struggled with the new pressure of being leader, weighed down by the sudden dump of responsibility and forced to question if his brothers were really willing to follow him. Everytime he sees that shadow leering over Leo, he feels the immense urge to say something, anything really, but the words can never formulate in his head. Sometimes he really wished he was as skilled at human interactions as he was with coding. Emotions were complicated and messy and couldn't be solved with a screwdriver and some tape, but on the days he hears Leo crying through his curtains during one of his all-nighters, he can usually solve the problem with a soft touch and silent reassurance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twin telepathy as Leo always claimed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tonight however, Donnie did have the words, coming to his mind as he gives Leo's striped arms a quick reassuring squeeze, "we'll always trust you." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The doubt flickers and fades, replaced by that confident smile Donnie knew that squished up Leo's eyes, "Of course you do- I'm amazing." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Annnd you just ruined the moment," Donnie responds, activating his battle shell to fly up to the roof, Leo's snicker echoing in the alley beneath him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were going to be alright. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>《{•}》 </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey windmills his arms, tipping forward as he loses his balance, "Nonononono-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His momentum is stopped, a slight pressure on the back of his shell as someone holds him back from falling, and Mikey averts his gaze from the distant ground below him to over his shoulder, seeing Donnie holding the top of his carapace with a metal arm extending from his battle shell. Mikey grins sheepishly, falling backwards to land safely on the rooftop and releases a relieved breath, "Thanks, I think I used too much razzmatazz," he says, sitting on the ground and tilting his head up to gaze at the stars. They twinkle down on him, but are dulled by the stars trapped in glass on the ground. He wished he could one day see them in all their glory without the light pollution from his home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie hums in response, metal arm patting Mikey's head before retreating back into his shell. Leo and Raph were bickering some distance away, arguing about patrolling and areas they should focus on, giving Mikey enough time to think about something Michelangelo had brought up during the argument on the roof. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was an off-handed thing he whispered to Donatello, but Mikey had heard it loud and clear, and it left a sick feeling in his stomach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It's like A and B team all over again. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A and... B team? Did their other versions have some sort of division amongst themselves over who was considered weaker and stronger? And based on how Michelangelo had brought it up to Donatello, Mikey had a reasonable suspicion that they were the B team- the weaker half. He couldn't imagine that level of separation between his own family, but weren't Leo and Raph in theory stronger than him and Donnie? He was the youngest, did that make him lesser than his brothers? What about all those times against the Shredder he disappeared in his shell instead of fighting? Was he a coward because of that? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You do know that overthinking is my thing, right?" Donnie questions from above him, Mikey looking over to see his older brother typing away at his wrist controller. He noticed however that his eyes kept shifting between the screen and Mikey sitting on the floor, attention flickering between the two. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I thought your thing was being an emotionally unavailable bad boy?" Mikey asks back, including a cheerful smile in hopes that Donnie doesn't poke any further. He didn't want to hurt his feelings as well- Mikey knew that Donnie had his own issues with his genetic disadvantage as a soft shell. His smile wavers slightly when Donnie's expression appears to be unconvinced, his older brother seeing right through his mask, "It's um... about something Michelangelo said. He mentioned something about the A and B team." A few seconds of silence swells between them as Mikey focuses his attention on his crossed feet, avoiding Donnie's gaze. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"And you're worried that we're the B team here?" Donnie assumes, Mikey hunching his shoulders slightly in discomfort, "We did separate into two teams for the Repo Mantis thing- you and me wanted to trick Repo while Leo and Raph went a more direct route. In that situation, I guess we could get labelled as A and B, but considering the fact OUR plan had the most likelihood of success, that would make us the A team." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey frowns, knowing that his brother was trying to cheer him up, but that wasn't why he was upset. He didn't want anyone to be on the B-team, they all should be A-team! There shouldn't even be a ranking system, it was unfair to try and compare their skills when their strengths came from different places. Raph may be physically the strongest, but Donnie was just so smart, light years ahead of even humans. Leo was amazing at everything he does, picking up skills like it was second nature and Mikey... </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What was Mikey? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"... but if we're being honest here, the whole A B thing is unrealistic," Donnie continues after a long pause, probably noticing that Mikey's mood hadn't improved after his words, "Mikey, no one on the team is weaker than the next. We can compare statistics- Raph being physically the strongest, me being intellectually strongest, but numbers /can/ lie sometimes. There's more to a person than just how much they can lift or how fast they can solve a mathematical equation. We all have a role on the team." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <em>But... where am I? </em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Instead, he gives Donnie another smile which is received with a still unconvinced eyebrow quirk, "Thanks Dee, but I hope you know that this conversation is not boding well for your role as the bad boy." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie responds with a sigh, turning away from Mikey to give him some space. Mikey knew his older brother sometimes struggled with the mushiness of emotions, so him even trying was touching; but this felt like an issue he had to deal with himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Where did he belong? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh, Don, have you seen any new ninjas on your city cams?" Leo suddenly asks, and Mikey looks over to see him and Raph leaning over the ledge to peer down at something, "Kinda ugly looking fellas?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Not that I'm aware of," Donnie responds, joining his brothers at their spot. When Mikey follows, he can see the drawn eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, Donnie flipping his goggles down to analyze the figures below them. They appeared to be human, lanky in shape and dressed in loose black garments that remind Mikey of the shinobi shozoku they wore to infiltrate Big Mama's train. Mikey counted around 4, all with varying weapons that glinted in the light struggling through the alley. The people were looking around, as if searching for something. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Maybe they're going to church or something?" Raph guesses, raising a hand in a lazy shrug. He narrows his eyes at the glares sent his way by his brothers, "What!? It's a reasonable guess." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"They're carrying swords, what kinda church is that?" Leo responds, Raph scowling in response. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"There's no mystic magic around them either," Donnie interrupts, pressing some button on his goggles to change his view, "actually, they appear to be made of metal, robotics to be exact." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're telling me that those are robot ninjas?" Leo questions, shaking Donnie's shoulder for confirmation, "That's so cool! Why haven't you built robot ninjas yet?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Get off of me!" Donnie snaps, shoving Leo's hands away. Mikey finds himself slightly taken aback by the sudden emotional response. Usually Donnie would just wordlessly smack Leo's hands or state his annoyance in a monotone way. For him to suddenly be more aggressive was strange, "And I haven't because I don't have the supplies; plus do we really want robot ninjas taking over our jobs?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh, yes, I would love to partner up with a robot ninja." Leo responds coolly, stepping on to the ledge, "But this sorta smells like Stockboy, did anyone piss him off lately?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't we make him angry just by existing?" Mikey points out, watching as Leo shrugs before disappearing from view, dropping to the ground with a clang, "... this feels weird guys." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What do you mean?" Donnie questions as Raph leaps over the ledge with a loud whoop, yelling about how he 'lands like a boss'. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey rubs his hands together, trying to understand what exactly he was feeling. There was definitely the cold, clawing sensation of fear, but somewhere buried within that monster was familiarity. Mikey recognized the bots Raph just punched into a wall, he remembers seeing Leo's katanas striking through their chests, /he knew this/. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nevermind, I must have eaten bad pizza," Mikey mutters instead, ignoring the analyzing look Donnie sends his way and jumping down to join his brothers, the chain on his nun-chucks expanding to his will as he flips on end around a bot's neck, landing in a crouched position and swinging it over his head. The robot slams against the brick wall with a metal crunch, sparks flying as it slides to the ground in a flattened heap. His nun-chucks spool back up as Mikey looks around to see that he had taken out the final one. "That was... easy." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Too easy. Way too easy. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo nudges one of the fallen bots with the tip of his katana, crouching down to flip the head over when it makes no move to attack him. He narrows his eyes at the red bandana wrapped around the forehead, features scrunched up as he shakes it in his hand like it was a present he was trying to guess the contents of. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't shake the robots, Leo," Donnie comments from behind Mikey, goggles down as he scans one of the fallen forms. His stale commentary was back, Mikey relaxing slightly at seeing Donnie back to normal. The unease returns swiftly, however, when he realizes that Donnie's outburst reminded him of Donatello. It could just have been a random occurrence- he has heard the very loud and colourful things Donnie has to say through the lab doors. But at the same time, if the Leos were mixing things together, it would make sense for the Donnies to start sharing mannerisms as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Which also explains the familiarity he was feeling- he has never seen these bots before, but <em>Michelangelo</em> has. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before he can voice his theory, Donnie finishes his analysis, pushing his goggles back up with a troubled expression. "The circuits say StockMAN, not StockBOY." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, so? Could just be a coincidence," Leo suggests, now holding the face up to his own, red shiny eyes glaring out in place of Leo's as he begins to speak in a robotic voice, "Take me to your leader, turtle scum." He frowns as Raph smacks the head out of his hands, the robot's face crashing against the ground and shattering into pieces, "Tough crowd tonight." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's not just Stockman that bothers me," Donnie continues grimly, ignoring Leo's side commentary. During Leo's distraction, Donnie had cut into the back of the black shinobi shozoku, revealing the silver back of the robot and an all too familiar symbol. "These robots are property of the Foot Clan." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence occupies the alley, as the brothers all absorb the information. That didn't make any sense- after the defeat of Shredder and death of their commanders, Casey had taken over as head of the Clan. She had ceased all evil operations and watered down the group to only an elite few that were trained to respond in the event of another catastrophic attack. If the Foot Clan had started to drabble in robotics, Casey would have informed them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That doesn't make any sense," Raph comments, voicing Mikey's thoughts, "Casey has never mentioned robots to any of us. Is someone restarting the Clan?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey could see Leo squinting his eyes at his T-phone, expression missing his usual confident mask as the soft blue glow washes over his features, "Raph, call Casey. Ask about the robots and also ask about her deceased generals. Didn't she say they got cremated?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph was already in the process of dialling the eccentric girl; he’d  somehow found solidarity with her aggressive nature and thirst for violence. Mikey didn't understand how two opposites managed to get along so nicely, but Casey was the only person he knew who could take Raph's hard hits and somehow <em>enjoy</em> it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why are you asking about the generals?" Donnie asks, Mikey still waiting for a chance to butt in and bring up his theory about him and Michelangelo exchanging memories. His phone vibrates however as Leo forwards whatever was bothering him, Donnie pulling the image up on his wristband so it's displayed large enough for everyone to see, "Oh, that can't be good." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey's eyes widened at the image, trying to figure out what it meant. It was slightly blurry, but there was no mistaking the purple skin and hulking figure of Foot Brute, the massive man unloading paper to a warehouse that Mikey recognized but couldn't place at the moment. "Zombies?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I hope not." Donnie mutters, "We're already dealing with the portal and our counterparts, adding in zombies is too much for even me to handle," he continues, sliding his hand across his wristband to hide the image, "what did you tell them to do?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"To not interact, which means they'll definitely try to pick a fight," Leo explains as Raph hangs up his phone with a frown. "I'll try calling them." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Casey says that they haven't even considered robotic forces, she isn't sure where these guys came from. Do you think it's that drama club?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Drama club- do you mean the Purple Dragons?" Donnie questions in exasperation, pinching the space between his eyes and stepping around Mikey to be closer to Raph and Leo, "And no, it's not them. They love taking credit for their work, leaving symbols and puzzles on their machines to irk me. I'm not sure who is behind this." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, let's find our counterparts before they get bitten by some Foot zombies and mess things up even more than they already have," Leo plans, sweeping his katana down to open up a blue portal, "they rudely ignored my call so something is definitely going down. I tracked Michelangelo's signal, we'll portal in like two blocks away and hoof it the rest of the way." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We can't just leave tech lying ar- oh, it's... gone?" Donnie observes, Mikey looking around to see that the tech has in fact disappeared, no evidence that there were any Foot-Bots to begin with, "Awesome. Another mystery to deal with. Can't we just kill our counterparts, then we don't have to worry about the portal at all." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo narrows his eyes at Donnie, annoyance clear on his face, "We are <em>not</em> killing the condescending versions of us, no matter how much I want to replace that stick up Leonardo's ass with my katana. Now, let's go save their stupid butts," he finishes, passing through the portal. Donnie sighs loudly, about to follow Leo when the portal suddenly snaps shut, fizzing out within seconds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All three brothers stare dumbly at the spot Leo was just standing in, a newspaper fluttering by as if to emphasize how empty the alley currently was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"... he ditched us. And now we have to walk to..." Donnie exclaims, typing away at his wristband, "New Jersey?!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm going to kill Leo when we find him," Raph promises, clearly not happy with the fact they have to walk to the other side of New York, "C'mon, the sooner we start the sooner we can catch up." he sighs, turning around to face Mikey. He freezes however, eyes slowly growing wide as his eyes trail up something /behind/ Mikey, just as the box shell feels a hot breath on the back of his neck, "Mikey, get down!" Raph cries, racing forward to get him out of the way, but something furry and orange intercepts the snapper, crashing the turtle against a garbage bin so hard the metal dents. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey feels a hand wrap around his plastron just as Donnie activates his battle shell, only to get his ankle caught in the grasp of a mutant tiger, slamming him against the ground with a sickening crunch of metal on concrete, and Donnie cries out as his battle shell takes a blunt attack to the back. The hand lifts Mikey up and slams his carapace against the ground, pain radiating from his shell and drawing a pained scream from the turtle as the creature presses down on his plastron, restricting his breathing. Mikey's eyes widen as he finally sees who caught him, a black and grey creature with a long snout and jutting fangs leering down at him with hateful yellow eyes. He squirms in the grip, panic spiking dangerously as Donnie cries out again and Mikey recognizes the sound of his battle shell being torn into. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had it memorized after the attack from Shredder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The grip only tightens, the creature pressing close enough that Mikey can see his terrified expression reflected in the eyes, "I've always wanted to see what a turtle looks like when stripped from its shell." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>《{•}》 </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo flinches at the unmistakable pop of his portal closing too early, sighing loudly as he realizes his brothers are probably on the other side and most likely extremely pissed. He could probably open up another portal for them to go through, but the thought of them having to run from the Bronx to New Jersey almost made him laugh. That would be good payback for that time Mikey stole his pizza. On the other hand, he wasn't that cruel. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He thinks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pauses however when his eyes land on the warehouse Mikey's signal was coming from, narrowing his eyes at how familiar it looked. Had he been there before? The wind picks up the salty smell of ocean and fish, and Leo releases a groan, covering his nose right as the memory comes to mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fish and ladders. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yes, that was right! This was the place Baron Draxum tricked them and attacked them with all the other mutants who had a vendetta against them; but he thought they destroyed it? If his memory was right, they had completely demolished the back of the building, leaving behind nothing but splintered wood and crumbling brick. For some reason, however, the building was standing tall and completely unharmed, as if nothing had ever happened there. Along with that, the Foot van was gone, and Leo pinched between his eyes as he felt a migraine growing. He thought 'not interfering' would be an easy enough rule to follow, but clearly his counterparts had spooked the Foot zombies off and now they had no chance to find an explanation for the sudden appearance. According to his T-Phone, Michelangelo was now inside. Him and his idiot brothers were most likely exploring the warehouse after seeing the Foot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He should've just said they were paper salesmen or something, but he had a feeling Raphael would have attacked them regardless. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo sighs again, closing his eyes in exhaustion and preparing to create another portal so he can fetch his brothers and stop their counterparts from messing more things up, but he stiffens as someone stops his blade, eyes blowing wide to see an armoured hand curled around it. The hand was connected to an arm with blades protruding from the forearms, shiny dark metal covering the chest as a black cape fluttered in the breeze, a charcoal mask glinting in the full moon that revealed </span>
  <span>nothing but two eyes: one hate-filled and brown, the other dead white and scarred over.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo chuckles nervously, a weary smile crossing his face as he experimentally tugs at his katana only to realize the armoured person had it in a tight grip, "See, this is why I don't like New Jersey." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hamato Leonardo." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo's blood runs cold, his smile falling as his heart thunders in his chest and lungs constrict in pure terror, hand not holding his one unsheathed blade shaking by his side as a tremor races up his spine. He knew that voice, it was the voice from the sewer that laughed, that dark presence he felt watching them that he couldn't shake, even when he was locked in the embrace of sleep. He couldn't name it, not at the moment, but now seeing the person, having him speak in front of him, releases a whirlwind of memories that weren't his own. A freezing winter day with falling snow, the feeling of pure anger only to be replaced by the sudden spike of fear and nothingness and blood, so much blood, dripping from the man's armor, and a raging fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The split second hesitation had a hefty price to pay, and Leo felt weightless for a second before crashing on the hard ground of the roof and rolling to a stop, hissing at the sharp pain coming from his face as something warm dripped down his cheek. He scrambles to his feet, pulling out his second katana and holding it out with shaky hands, his other one flung to the side, clattering to the other side of the roof. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man stalks closer, and Leo takes a hesitant step back as he speaks again, sinister voice echoing in Leo's mind and mocking his fear, "Poor little turtle. Your brothers cannot save you now." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The name struggles it’s way to Leo's mind, but that was impossible, that couldn't be right. They won, they got rid of him, and this guy was significantly smaller, there was no way. They had fought and sacrificed so much to win, he was gone and defeated - he couldn't be back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the name is still drawn out of Leo's chest, his voice sounding much smaller than he ever remembered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shredder."</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Leo: *uses his katanas to make a portal*</p><p>2012 Shredder: *appears*</p><p>Leo:</p><p>Leo: hold up, I think I fucked up my soup-</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Can't Get Shit in New Jersey</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank God for discord and giving me titles because I would not come up with the stuff they do.</p><p>I also had an exam today that didn't go as well as I hoped and want to cry so comments are appreciated :/ I also just want to say thanks for all the support in the past few chapters :) I have a lot planned for both sides so I hope you are all willing to stick around.</p><p>I hope everyone else had a good day however and please drink some water!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Donatello didn't know what was worse. Leonardo and Raphael being captured, him and Michelangelo being cornered by a spider-woman that was freakishly tall, or the fact that she was using made up words like</span>
  <em>
    <span> turtley-boos</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the thing that scared Donatello the most was the scream that Michelangelo had produced at seeing the jorōgumo. The violent reaction was enough to make Donatello hesitate, his heart clenching painfully because Michelangelo hadn't screamed like that since they were kids when he made shadows into monsters and cried in Donatello's arms. Too many things about Michelangelo tonight was scaring Donatello- he was acting like a child all over again, more so than usual. Donnie had warned him about essences mixing, Leo and Leonardo already feeling the brunt of the symptoms, but switching ages was far worse than fears. What if Michelangelo starts losing his memories, completely reverting back to how he was at thirteen while still staying physically eighteen? Does that mean he would forget everything about the surface? The training? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luckily enough, Michelangelo's training was still embedded in the fibres of his muscles and he managed to throw a smoke bomb, the distraction working on the jorōgumo and spurring Donatello out of his panicked state enough to grab his brother and run. Unfortunately, the jorōgumo had made a blind shot and hit Michelanglo's hands with one of her webs, but they managed to get up to the second level and hide before she could make another shot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Stop squirming, Mikey!" Donatello whispers, trying to cut the webs entrapping his brother's hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Fine, next time YOU get spit on by some crazy spider lady!" He whines back, a grimace of disgust crossing his face, "Why is it </span>
  <em>
    <span>warm</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"She's a jorōgumo," Donatello explains, breathing a sigh of relief as his tanto finally cuts through the thick webbing, the white threads uncoiling around their knees. One less problem. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A look up reveals Michelangelo's blank face, Donatello pinching between his eyes realizing he has to explain, "Did you not listen to sensei's stories about Japanese folklore and legends? He taught us about jorōgumo and other dark stuff like that when we were fourteen because you kept getting spooked." Michelangelo still had that blank expression on his face, like he didn't remember anything past that age, and Draxum's warning echoes darkly in Donatello's mind, "... Mikey how old are you?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Thirteen...," Michelangelo starts, but the ending of the word wavers and his face pinches together, gaze dropping to the metal grate they were hiding on to avoid Donatello's panicked gaze, "no, we're eighteen, right? Right. I don't know why I said that. I'm sorry." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, don't apologize, that's-" Donatello's T-Phone vibrates again, a reminder he didn't check after the distress signal from Michelangelo's. At the same time, Raphael releases another colourful insult about taking the other attacker's pointy helmet and shoving it in a place where the sun doesn't shine. His older brothers were held in the air by some sort of purple vines, Donatello recognizing the veiny plant as the same thing that had knocked Leonardo into the stage and Raphael off their forms when he had taken the hit for them. They were clearly being controlled by the taller form in the middle of the room, the person more visible then when he was in the shadows. He seemed like a warrior of some sort, clad in sapphire robes and black and gold armour, a blue mask with golden horns adorning his face. Purple hair fell from beneath it, and somehow Donatello recognized the tall goat-like form; but he couldn't put his finger on where from. The jorōgumo- who Donatello swore called herself Big Mama- was nowhere to be found. A trick of some sort? They were known for being shapeshifters, perhaps she had changed forms once they escaped into something smaller and stealthier. That meant that there were two titans wandering the building on the lookout for Donatello and Michelangelo, and there was still the mystery of the Foot. Include Leonardo and Raphael being captured and useless at the moment, and their odds of winning had slimmed considerably. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello bites back his own well worded curse, knowing that the Michelangelo situation would have to be put on hold until they get out of their current predicament, "Just... I'll help you okay? But I got to fix this first," he promises, flipping open his T-Phone to see that the panic button had been hit four times in the past minute, showing that the first call wasn't an accident- their counterparts were in trouble and needed them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Which basically translated into: 'help is not coming, you're on your own for this one.' </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That's fine, we've fought and won against worse odds before. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Donatello's confidence wavers as his eyes land on Michelangelo who still appears more terrified than usual, eyes wide as his attention remains focused on Leonardo and Raphael's suspended forms in the middle of the warehouse. There was a slight shake in his hands, even though he was trying to hide it by clutching his nun-chucks. Michelangelo was way in over his head, whether he was willing to admit it or not. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I need you on the phones," Donatello says hurriedly, shoving his T-Phone into Michelangelo's plastron. Michelangelo jumps at the sudden movement, but manages to catch the phone before it can clatter against the walkway and reveal their position, "you have Mikey's phone, see if you can find where they are and what's wrong with them." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo looks between the phone in his hand and his nun-chucks in the opposing, expression shifting from confusion to pure pain, turning to Donatello with betrayal clear on his face. Donatello feels sick, and all he wants to do is hug his baby brother and go home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Go home so he can fix what had broken between them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But they weren't home, they were in some dingy warehouse fighting two titans and Donatello had to deal with this first. "I'm not getting rid of you, okay? I promise, but Mikey, you're acting like you're thirteen again and I can't risk you getting hurt, it's my job as your brother to protect you and the best way for me to do that is keep you away from danger until I can fix this, okay?" Michelangelo doesn't respond however, and the ache in Donatello's chest only grows, "Mikey, please." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It takes a heart beat for him to respond, voice sounding incredibly small, "okay." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Okay," Donatello echoes, standing up in preparation to go back down to the ground floor. He pauses however, eyes falling on the web's he cut off of Michelangelo and the skeleton of a plan forms in his mind. He winds them around one of his forearms quickly for safe keeping, looking back one last time to see Michelangelo's face lit up in blue, brows drawn tightly together as he reads something off Mikey's screen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'll be back, I promise." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey looks up, a second passing before a small smile comes across his face, "I know." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Donatello jumps. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>《{•}》</b>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello was- as most people had come to label him- a textbook overthinker. Oftentimes he would find himself fixating on a mistake, feeling a constant buzz that made his chest feel hollow as he tried to find where he went wrong and what he could have done better. It was a nasty spiral that he was a reluctant rider of, always having a front seat during the moments he was truly lost in something he couldn't change. To combat his overthinking, he had taught his brain to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>over</span>
  </em>
  <span> thinking, constantly bursting into ideas like supernova stars and mixing into cosmos in his head. Even when asleep his mind was still trudging forward, creating ideas and theories, leaving no room for silence, no chance for that spiral to grab him. Usually, Donatello could find peace in the constant noise. Always thinking was good, it was busy, it kept that persistent and dark voice away and he could focus on something different. It had its drawbacks- he rarely slept, visions and inventions urging his hands to move and build, but he had come to enjoy that aching tiredness versus the terrible buzz. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Some days he loses the fight though, finding himself sliding down that spiral even when in the midst of danger, that voice whispering distractingly in his ear as he crouched behind the stage, trying to listen to what the warrior-man was saying. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If he hadn't fiddled with that Kraang tech, they would have never gotten sucked into this backwards world. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If he had listened to Michelangelo, they would have left sooner and avoided this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If he had slept like he should have, he would have been more awake and fast enough to stop the portal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If he was smart enough, Splinter would still be with them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If, if, if- </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"If the remaining failed subjects do not step forward, I'll rip you both limb from limb," the figure demands, Donatello's grip on his staff tightening. The web's around his forearm were starting to itch, the threads growing hard as they remained stationary. They must have some sort of hardening element to them as well, allowing the spider Yokai to trap her victims in a steel cage of fibers. The longer they stayed stationary, the harder they got. Donatello would have to use them fast, and if his plan worked- </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He's bluffing," Raphael assumes, Donatello hearing Leonardo's exasperated sigh echoing in the warehouse, "villains like him are always bluffing." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Doesn't mean I want to test that theory," Leonardo snaps, "look, you have the wrong turtles- like I said, I don't know who you are." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm your creator, the reason you exist. I made you into warriors-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, we got mutated in some back alley," Raphael interrupts before the person can start a long winded story. Donatello unwinds the threads, pulling them apart to loosen them up and keep them sticky. He also needed that jorōgumo back - but the Yokai had disappeared since the attack on him and Michelangelo, “...normal New York freak accident type of beat. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff we've seen, like... aliens. And definitely things scarier than </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Then why did you freeze?" The figure muses, a thin layer of mockery on his words. Silence answers him, and even Donatello's 'what-if' questions had ceased as that one took place in his mind. Why did they freeze? None of them knew who the man was, just that they should be scared of him, but compared to some of the other things they faced this guy was nothing. The scariest part was just how much he enjoyed hearing himself talk. Logically, their reaction to him made zero sense, but Donatello was starting to realize that logic wasn't the answer for everything anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, I don't recall giving you permission to use my fuzzy-woozy webs you tricky turtle," the jorōgumo’s voice comes from behind him, and Donatello looks over his shoulder to see her human form now. It was a very petite woman, with poofy white hair and soft purple skin, red glasses glinting from the starlight struggling through the windows as she pushes her glasses up. Donatello didn't know what was more infuriating- the smug smile on her face or her made-up words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Use real words," he replies dryly, jumping onto the stage as her smile turns sharp, form shifting violently as she grows into the spider he had first seen her as. Donatello makes it to the other side just as she shrieks loudly, stage vibrating slightly behind him as she no doubt jumps up to to pursue him, the purple banded turtle ducking down as a white blob races over his head and lands a foot in front of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The outburst of noise makes the blue titan look at his crouched form, Donatello tensing up under the heavy gaze from the yellow and red eyes, "That's a lot of noise from someone trying to play ninja. I expected more from you." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't even know who you are!" Donatello shouts back in annoyance, tired of people knowing things he couldn't understand, "And I'm not 'playing'," he finishes darkly as purple vines erupt from the ground, pointed ends aimed for his form on the ground. The stage shakes more behind him, the jorōgumo drawing closer just as Donatello throws up the webs he had collected, jumping out of the way as the vines get entangled in the white strings. They try to pull apart, their controller caught off guard by the attack as Donatello steps in front of him, and right as Big Mama erupts from the stage wings. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're very slippery," she hisses, Donatello narrowing his eyes as she rears back to release another web. It flies towards him, right as the person behind him notices the unexpected guest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You-" he starts, but curses loudly when Donatello dodges the web blob, the sticky threads now wrapped around his feet and keeping him caught on the ground, "you are </span>
  <em>
    <span>infuriating</span>
  </em>
  <span>." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Scrumulent to see you again Baron Draxum, but you must understand that these turtles belong to me," She explains, long spider mouth drawn up in a sinister smile. The name sounded very familiar to Donatello, like he had heard it before, but he dismisses the thought, using their distraction as an opportunity to lunge for Leonardo's fallen katanas, "No stealing from Big Mama." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Speak like a normal person for once in your life." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wow, the two villains know each other, who would've thought," Raphael points out sarcastically as Donatello brings the blade down on one of the vines holding Leonardo's arm. It relinquishes its grip and he snatches his tanto from his belt to cut the rest of his limbs free, Donatello doing the same to the vine gripping Raphael. His brothers drop to the ground right as their captors realize their mistake, "please tell me that's not a giant spider." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Jorōgumo," Donatello corrects instinctively, cringing at the heated gaze sent his way by Raphael, "... it's a giant spider." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo takes back his katanas, pointing one end at Baron Draxum, "We're not </span>
  <em>
    <span>playing</span>
  </em>
  <span> anything, you have one chance to surrender." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No more 'playing'?" Baron Draxum echoes darkly, lifting his feet experimentally to see that they were still stuck in their position on the ground, "Fine. I was never fond of games anyways." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ground rumbles beneath Donatello's feet, forcing him to widen his stance to avoid losing his balance. Purple vines erupt from the ground around them, the cement floor cracking and crumbling around them as they rip through the earth, a withering mass of plants coming towards them. Big Mama releases another angry screech, dodging a purple vine aimed at </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> that splinters the wooden stage. Donatello thanks whoever is on their side for making Baron and Mama hate each other- as long as Baron kept her distracted, it was one less villain to face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello jumps up as a vine strikes right where he was standing, landing on the plant and trying not to squirm when he feels it </span>
  <em>
    <span>pulsating</span>
  </em>
  <span> under his feet. Now that they were prepared for the attack, it was much harder for Baron to entrap them again; he could see that there was a split second of panic in his eyes as his plans crumbled around him like the floor beneath his feet, the three turtles using the vines to their advantage to get closer to their enemy. He clearly wasn't expecting them to be able to fight him, which raised another question in Donatello's galaxy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why was everyone treating them like the turtles who actually belonged here versus intruders? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I call goatman," Raphael hollers, flipping over a vine to land on top of an opposing one, once again evading Baron's attack. Donatello is pulled from his thoughts and drops down a level as a wad of Big Mama's webs arches over head, splattering against some more withering vines and locking them together. He turns to see her massive form scuttling around where he left- </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mikey! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello loses sight of the metal grate he had left his brother, a vine obscuring his vision as he's forced to dodge another one, using his tanto to break his fall by digging it into the side of the plant. It slows his descent to let him drop safely to the ground, side stepping as another vine erupts from the rubble. He can hear Raphael spewing another insult about goats, ducking as a purple vine arches over his head and crawling under the stationary ones that had gotten entangled in Big Mama's webs. The ground was as dangerous to walk across as the sky, completely torn apart and shifting under Donatello's feet, sending him slightly off balance with each step he took. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A crackle of energy sounds loudly in the room, and Donatello ignores the urge to look behind him out of fear of not making it to Michelangelo in time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What level were they at when they were thirteen? He knew they were all pretty advanced- even if Michelangelo sometimes lagged behind- but they had never fought anyone beside their own family until they turned fifteen, how would Michelangelo fare against Big Mama? He couldn't risk anything happening to Michelangelo, but his fears were a distraction. While drowning in his thoughts, he failed to see that he was in clear vision of Big Mama, stepping out of the forest of vines and into her line of shot. He turns just in time to see her open her mouth, ready to send out another web, but a shrill cry of 'cowabunga!' steals her attention and Michelangelo comes flying out of nowhere with a... ladder? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello's eyes weren't deceiving him, Michelanglo had traded in his usual weapons for a common household tool, the contraption closing around the yokai's form and trapping her with a snap, Big Mama releasing another shrill cry before another crackle of electricity sounds and she vanishes, the ladder falling to the ground with a clatter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello pauses for the briefest second, trying to understand what he just saw, but it's banished to the back of his mind when he sees Michelangelo crawling back up to his feet, a large gash on his shin flowing deep red blood down his right leg, "Mikey?!" He cries worriedly, racing towards his brother. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo blinks, looking down at his leg as if seeing it for the first time. "Oh. I must have scrapped it on the rocks or something," he mutters, standing still as Donatello frets over the wound. He curses himself when he remembers that he doesn't have any of his supplies, all his first aid equipment still in their universe. He should've asked Donnie to borrow some, but it had slipped his mind, "Did you guys win? I don't hear Raph cursing anymore." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello pauses, turning away from Michelangelo's bloody knee to gaze through the thick vines. He couldn't see much between the thin cracks, but Michelangelo was right, all sounds of fighting had ceased, "I don't know, I hope so." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"... you do know I'm not angry about the lab situation, right?" Michelangelo suddenly says quietly, Donatello stiffening at his words and turning back to the wound to avoid Michelangelo's baby blue eyes. He was scared to see what emotion would be buried in there, "You always baby me when you feel bad about something." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I wasn't- I didn't bench you to baby you-" Donatello defends quickly, worried that Michelangelo had taken Donatello's demands the wrong way. He was just terrified about what would happen if Michelangelo's skills had suddenly dropped to the level they were at when he was thirteen, or if he kept getting scared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Me and Mikey are switching, aren't we? That's why I said I was thirteen, and it also explains why I said 'cowabunga' instead of 'booyakasha', although I don't even remember the last time I said that. You were worried about my skill level dropping as well, I figured that much out. I'm talking about the scrape on my shin, I think I'll survive," Michelangelo explains, Donatello's hands stilling around his legs before drawing back to his sides. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello felt like it was his turn to say something, anything, but the galaxy in his mind had vanished, replaced by that dark, hollow sensation that echoed the same question over and over again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What if we don't get back in time? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He tried to block it out, to bring back his ever expanding mind in hopes of finding the right words, but now he was just scared. What were the long-term effects of Mikey and Michelangelo switching ages? Would Michelangelo physically go back in time as well? What about memories? Would everything they've been through fade from his mind? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Was that really a bad thing? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello slowly stands up, scanning Michelangelo's body and seeing all the nasty scars they have gained over the years. If Michelangelo's memories disappeared, would he forget about that time Rahzar bit into his arm, almost ripping it off during the attack? What about the burn mark from the Kraang blasters, would he forget about all those battles? There was a deep gouge in his chest from Tigerclaw, another long scratch from Rahzar, a crack on the back of his shell from Shredder. And when Donatello finally braves looking into Michelangelo's eyes, he can see that they weren't as bright as he remembers, the twinkle dulled over the years and his smile seemed forced, almost brittle, like one small thing would make the mask he made crack. How terrible would it be for him to forget all that pain? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello doesn't voice his question, instead placing his hand on Michelangelo's head and giving it a rub like he used to do when they were younger and less frayed. He doesn't speak, but Michelangelo must have understood the silent apology because the brittle smile looks more genuine, his eyes squishing up slightly at the affectionate action. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"There you guys are- we were worried about that spider lady still walking around and didn't want to risk yelling," Leonardo suddenly pipes up from above them, "also you guys were having such a cute little moment, I would feel bad ruining it." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wha- how long were you guys up there?!" Donatello asks defensively, pointing an accusing finger at the two oldest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo had that half-smile on his face Donatello hadn't seen in years, an indication that he was holding blackmail against someone and Raphael's own face was covered in his mischievous smirk, "Long enough," he cooes, Donatello flushing red. He wasn't fond of his brothers knowing about his softer side- that was more of Michelangelo's thing anyways- but the soft smile on his baby brothers face made the inevitable teasing worth it. The interactions felt... normal, in a sense, especially since they had been so out of sync the past few weeks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Was this what healing felt like? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh yeah, Raph, I saw you favouring your left side during the fight after you misstepped a vine, you need ice and heat on that twisted ankle and I saw how big of a dent was in that stage, Leo is going back to the lair with you because I'm sure he has a concussion." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The angry yelling that followed also made the idea of future teasing a little bit more bearable. Early revenge in a way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were going to be fine. Really, truly fine. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>《{•}》 </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo watches his two eldest brothers disappear into the sewer, their grumbling and protests quieting as they grow further away, Donatello replacing the cover. Originally they seemed very stubborn about staying on patrol, assuring Donatello that they were both fine and able to go out and help their counterparts, but after hearing they had to travel to the other side of New York, Raphael had caved, his ankle bothering him more than he would ever admit. Leonardo had followed shortly afterwards, Donatello rebutting all of his statements with science and logic. They still made their annoyance audible, but after Donatello swore to keep contact with them and explain everything right away, the bickering had petered out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo's fear about the rifts amongst his brothers had eased slightly tonight, even if it came at the cost of a few injuries. Donatello had apologized in his vague way and Leonardo seemed more relaxed, shoulders less tense as some of his burdens seem to crumble away. Raphael had even pulled Michelangelo in a side hug when Leonardo and Donatello weren't looking, patting his head as he quietly muttered a sorry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For the first time in a long time, Michelangelo could say the word 'fine' and not feel like he was lying to himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo looks back down at Mikey's screen, concern settling deep in his bones at the vast amount of distress calls each brother had delivered. From the looks of it, April was responding, and this universe's Casey had also replied, stating he was on his way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm sure they're okay, Mikey," Donatello promises quietly, Michelangelo sighing before stowing the phone safely in his belt, "besides, April and Casey are responding- they've got help on the way." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I know I just..." Michelangelo starts, frustration growing at his inability to help. Something was wrong, he felt it deep inside of himself, Mikey was terrified. The idea of him reverting back to thirteen wasn't even a thought in his mind at the moment- all that mattered was making sure their counterparts were alright, "I think I can feel Mikey's emotions, and he's </span>
  <em>
    <span>terrified</span>
  </em>
  <span> right now." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"The two of you being connected by memories and now emotion is concerning," Donatello mutters, a finger resting on his chin as his brow ridges furrow together, "and the Leos are switching things up too. I wonder what's causing you four to escalate in comparison to me and Donnie and the Raphs." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's not what I'm worried about, I'm worried about what's got Mikey so scared," Michelangelo interrupts, breaking Donatello from his thoughts before he could start rambling, "they're a long distance away and we don't have the Shellraiser, we have to get going if we want to reach them before the sun rises." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Or something worse happens. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo doesn't voice his last thought, but he can tell by the brief grimace on Donatello's face that he had thought the same thing. They clamber up the fire escape, finding safety on the roofs as they make the trek to their counterparts, Michelangelo looking back only once to see that the warehouse had collapsed behind them, back half blown apart and crumbling from the receding purple vines.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Also, another shameless self promotion for you guys to check out my TMNT AU, Leo has six simps rn and if you don't want to read the main story, there's a few one-shots. However the personalities are pretty similar to past versions so you can honestly sub in any universe for the one-shots. </p><p>If you want some more incentive, Leo (Leatherback Sea Turtle) is seven feet tall and when he hugs people they disappear, Mikey's (Hawksbill Sea Turtle) shell glows in the dark and he's the second tallest, Raphael (Mata Mata Turtle hybrid with unknown secondary animal) has a bite strength of 3700 PSI and Donnie (Ringed Map Turtle) is a 5"4' gremlin that hacks into Times Square to rick roll all of New York when left alone for too long. I love them all sm</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Monologuing is the Downfall of all Villains</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Have fun with this chapter lol</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Leo feels the split second of nothingness as he activates his ninpo to travel to his abandoned katana, reappearing on the opposite end of the roof and feeling a sliver of confidence return as he wraps his hand around the worn leather, the equal weight providing some degree of comfort in this very fucked up situation. Leo winces as the Shredder's blade strikes through the scaffolding where Leo was just standing, brick crumbling from the force as he tries to avoid imagining those blades passing through his plastron. Clearly the guy had enough strength to turn him into a turtle-kabob, but Leo wasn't totally ready to test that theory. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He could still feel the ninpo thrumming in his veins, the strength that comes with his concentration of power settling into his bones, but something seemed... off. Usually, activating his ninpo included some form of connection with his family, he would feel their heartbeats in time with his own, their breaths echoing his, a string attaching them all together as they faced every obstacle as a family. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But his brother's weren't here, he couldn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel</span>
  </em>
  <span> them like he usually does and that fact made an uneasy and fearful feeling lay a heavy blanket over the power, his hesitation making his ninpo flicker in and out of control. He desperately wanted to portal back to his brothers, but he couldn't just leave Shredder on a rooftop in Jersey, even if this was a much smaller version of the one he had battled before. Besides, Jersey was bad enough already; leaving a Shredder there just added to how terrible the place was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, Leo had a hollow feeling that portaling was a bad idea. Everytime he activated his ninpo he felt... weaker. More disconnected. Like the energy was coming from within him, not around him. It was making him weary and tired and he could see in the mist from the port that his glow was fading like a dying candle, the wick struggling to stay aflame. His energy was leaving him in that wispy smoke, a dull grey spiraling up to the stars and Leo was forced to stop drawing from that strength, lunging to the side to avoid another attack from the new Shredder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The gauntlets just barely miss his head, Leo feeling the breeze on the back of his neck as he delivers a kick to his attacker's side, rolling out of the way and jumping back up to his feet, just tripping slightly on his feet. Everything felt off kilter, out of place. He had some familiarity with this situation, a disturbing feeling of deja vu that was accompanied by the ghost sensation of falling snow and a winter breeze, but another part felt like this was fake, an illusion. It wasn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>right</span>
  </em>
  <span>, this wasn't his fight, it was someone else's. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And he thinks he knows who. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm not the guy you're after!" Leo explains hurriedly, blocking a strike with his blades. They clash loudly, echoing in the fog in a ghostly scream, Leo seeing his reflection in the blades, red stripes disturbingly reminding him of blood. "I don't even know who you are, bucket-head!" He lies, ducking to avoid a swipe at his head. He grits his teeth, seeing another attack coming for his neck and sends one blade between Shredder's legs, vanishing just in time and reappearing behind him to strike down, blades arching over his shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shredder blocks the blades at the last second, locking them in his gauntlets as a tremor races up Leo's arm, sweat beading down his face. Using his ninpo was a massive mistake, his energy dwindling far faster than he anticipated as his vision swims. Why was he getting so tired suddenly? He felt like he fought a battle before this one, body aching in areas he hadn't been hit yet, ghosts striking his arms and legs. He feels the sensation of blood dripping down his body, but there were no cuts on his skin besides the slight abrasions from sliding on the roof and the bruise on his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Wrong," Shredder spits out, his foot connecting with Leo's plastron and sending him flying backwards, katanas slipping from his grasp when his shell painfully collides with the edge of the roof, "I can feel your racing heart, the fear in your veins. You said my name." He continues, stalking forward, heavy armoured boots echoing loudly in time with Leo's heart, "you are beneath me." He finishes, standing over Leo and looking down at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss Beast Shredder, he monologues way less," Leo states mournfully, placing the back of his hand against his forehead, "end my misery so I no longer hear you speak." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"... what?" Shredder responds, clearly not used to his victims acting so coolly when faced with his blades. The split second hesitation was all Leo needed to dive between his legs, twisting so he could deliver one solid kick to Shredder's back from his position on the ground. The man was too close to the edge, just like Leo had planned, and he trips over the ledge, disappearing from view. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leo scrambles up and leans over, squinting his eyes for any glint of metal, but it appears as if Shredder had vanished, no sign of him at all. Leo frowns, scanning again just in case he missed something, but the only thing he sees are overflowing garbage bags and a family of raccoons, rocking back on his heels and releasing a frustrated sigh. It was Shredder, that much he knew, but not his. Did bringing in their counterparts also suck up their version of Shredder? Seemed unlikely, Donnie's portal had been completely trashed, no one else could have possibly snuck through. Along with that, Leonardo said that they defeated their Shredder at the cost of Splinter- was he lying? Did they actually defeat Shredder or was he just saying that since Mikey had revealed that they were successful? That still didn't explain how Shredder was suddenly in this universe however, nor how Leo was suddenly sore all over despite not receiving many hits. His ninpo was fading too, were these all adverse effects from mixing with Leonardo? He had felt like he fought this Shredder before, a distant memory that made his knee hurt, but that never happened to </span>
  <em>
    <span>Leo</span>
  </em>
  <span>, just Leonardo. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh fuck. Leonardo.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leo shifts his gaze to the undisturbed warehouse, remembering why he was even there in the first place. Clearly the Foot had feld however, so was there really a reason for him to stick around? A look on his T-Phone revealed that Donnie and Raph hadn't moved from the position they were last in, he could get his brothers first and then swing back around. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His hands shake however when he grasps his fallen blades, Leo questioning if he even possessed the strength to portal back. Leo sighs, closing his eyes to catch his breath and search for that thread connecting him to his brothers. His ninpo flares up briefly, Leo feeling his brother's heartbeats, but they weren't in tune with his. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were frantic, drumming dangerously fast and sending a sharp bolt of panic up Leo's spine, accompanying the terror that was vibrating from his siblings' end. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <b>《{•}》</b>
  
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The ground flickers beneath Donnie, changing from the dirt and trash of a New York alley to the wooden docks, panic gripping him like a vise as pressure is put on his battle shell. The grating sound of claws on metal makes every muscle in his body turn to stone, blood turning to ice as the horrifying screech of Shredder echoes in his head and amplifies the terror coursing in his veins. Donnie screws his eyes shut, images of bloody towels, shredded metal, and ugly scars flooding his mind. He wanted to scream, but the sensation rolled into a ball in his chest and refused to budge, growing as another scratch was heard and hot sparks landed on Donnie's arm, the claws ripping off the protective layer of his shell to expose the circuits underneath. It wouldn't be long until Shredder makes his way down to his fleshy shell and- </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Mikey screams, Donnie's eyes flying open at the sound as someone does a crackly laugh behind him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>No.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Donnie breaks himself from the spiral, vision focusing back on the alley floor as he presses the release button on his shoulder, battle shell launching off to distract his attacker. The momentarily freedom was more than enough time for his hand to circle back around his fallen staff and activate his ninpo with a soft whoosh, one end shifting into a hazy purple rocket to add momentum to his swing as he rolled over. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shredder was </span>
  <em>
    <span>gone</span>
  </em>
  <span>, they defeated him, it was just a silly fear at this point, an illogical response to something that would never happen again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Except, according to Mikey, it was a logical response. His younger brother was always smarter than him in the emotional field of intelligence. And now that brother was screaming and Donnie would rip apart whoever was hurting him with his bare hands. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The end of his staff connects with a humanoid tiger, Donnie not recognizing the eye-patched creature as either a Yokai or oozequito victim. The force of the rocket slams the tiger against the distant wall, Donnie scrambling to his feet and looking down to see his battle shell completely torn open, claw marks running down the purple metal and the bright wiring underneath sparking dangerously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Donnie didn't care about that however, leaping over it and helicoptering his staff, bringing the top of it down on the creature pressing down on Mikey, a rocket appearing at the end to aid in the power. "Hands off my brother!" He roars, relishing in the crack that echoes in the alley, his staff vibrating up his arms as the monster flies off Mikey. He lands beside the box shell, placing the staff on the ground so he can use both hands to pull his younger brother up in a sitting position, falling to his knees to be at equal height. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes scan Mikey's body for injuries, fingers running over skin and feeling for any bumps or scratches. "You're okay, you're okay," he repeats, not sure if the words were being said to soothe his shaking brother or himself. Mikey cries out quietly when Donnie's fingers pass over his plastron, the soft shell gritting his teeth angrily at the hairline crack in the center. Not deep enough to do any damage, but the fact Mikey had gotten hurt made his blood boil. Mikey had his right hand held tightly against his left bicep, Donnie cursing as blood seeps through his fingers, "Leo has the first aid supplies, and I don't know where he is," the soft shell snaps, sending out an alert to his missing brother. He also sends one out to Casey and April, hoping that the girls were still awake at this ungodly hour. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mikey eyes widen, gaze locked on something behind Donnie. His mouth opens as if to warn him, but Donnie feels the breeze and knows he doesn't have enough time to defend with his staff. Instead he places himself in front of Mikey, shell facing out and ready to take the hit, one hand braced against the ground and the other on the side of Mikey's head. He distantly remembers taking his battle shell off as Mikey grips his forearm with his bloodied hand, face twisting into panic as he too realizes that the metal protection was gone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was too late anyways, but Donnie knew he wouldn't regret whatever happens next. Mikey was </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> little brother, and he would let Shredder destroy his shell a thousand times over if it meant keeping him safe. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The impact however doesn't come, Mikey's face morphing into relief as Donnie hears Raph's savage roar, looking over his shoulder to see his red banded brother holding the gangly creature that had attacked Mikey to the ground. It looked like a mix between a dog and skeleton, all lanky limbs and sharp edges, wide jaw snapping open and shut in an attempt to bite into Raph. Everytime the monster was successful with landing an attack, Raph would vanish in the red light of his false forms, being replaced quickly by another. Donnie knew Raph couldn't keep it up forever, at some point his form would solidify and one of those deadly attacks would land a devastating blow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Razhar." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Donnie blinks turning to Mikey, "what?" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mikey had a far off look in his eyes, and Donnie didn't like the haunted expression on his face. The spots on his skin had dulled in shade, a shadow over his eyes like he had suddenly aged a thousand years and had been worn down to ash from time. "His name is Rahzar." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Donnie's heart drops, seeing in Mikey's eyes and tone that this was previous knowledge - not a name he came up with on the spot. This Rahzar enemy was someone completely new to him, he knows they have never faced that Yokai and he knows Mikey has never seen him before, but he said it with so much certainty, a hollow expression on his face as his usually cheerful demeanor vanishes. It takes a heart beat for Donnie to recognize the face as Michelangelo's when he thinks no one is looking. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then the memory surfaces, back when they first all met and Michelangelo had explained their connection to Bradford. Didn't they call him Rahzar? Were they fighting villains from </span>
  <em>
    <span>their</span>
  </em>
  <span> universe now? That didn't make any sense, the portal was trashed! And Draxum gave them that week long window, their universes were no longer properly aligned for anyone to suddenly appear. And what about Mikey knowing this was Rahzar despite never seeing him before and only hearing his name once? Unless Michelangelo went into more detail when Donnie wasn't around, but that seemed unlikely, he didn't seem like the type of person to trauma dump on someone else. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He's broken by his whirlwind of thoughts when Mikey's grip on his forearm tightens, a panicked expression crossing his face, "The other one is Tigerclaw! Donnie, they come in threes, Fishface is missing!" He cries, Donnie stabilizing his panicked brother by placing a hand on the back of his shell. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Tigerclaw? Fishface?</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another roar from Raph's direction breaks Donnie's from his thoughts, pushing Mikey's memory issues to the side. He would deal with that once they got rid of these guys. Raph's face was twisted into a grimace of pain, a large gash on his shoulder of three claw marks, his mystic form flickering in and out. The glow was fading as well, like a candle being blown out and Donnie looked down at his staff to see that the purple haze had dulled as well, his connection to his brothers feeling shaky and thin. Raph was still holding Rahzar down, but Donnie could see his arms were shaking and Rahzar knew he was getting the upper hand, the dog releasing a dark scratchy laugh. Rahzar plants a foot on Raph's plastron, the snapper's eyes growing wide as a kick launches him off Rahzar and to the ground, skidding to the end of the alley and onto the sidewalk. Donnie watches horrified as Tigerclaw joins the fight, Raph barely rolling out of the way in time to avoid getting a sword impaled through his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Razhar climbs to his feet, looking ready to lunge into the fray, but is stopped by Mikey's chain, the metal wrapping tightly around his waist and arms, the box shell gritting his teeth as he digs his heels into the ground to stop Razhar. Donnie snatches up his staff, narrowing his eyes as Rahzar looks over his shoulder slowly to lock eyes on the youngest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Sit doggie," Mikey taunts, a shaky smile on his face, eyebrow ridges pinched together nervously as a growl sounds from the back of Razhar's throat, "don't you want a treat?" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes," Razhar responds back darkly, "I want </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What is it with mutants and wanting to eat us!" Donnie snaps, flipping his staff over so the end is pointing towards the mutant, purple running down the staff to create the end of a canon, "He's like the fifth guy to threaten us with that, can they not say something original for once?" Bracing his staff against his arm, Donnie prepares to fire, eyes narrowed as Razhar strains against Mikey's restraints. His finger presses the button right as his vision floods with white hot pain, distantly hearing Mikey yelling as his name as he flies forward, rolling to a stop as his shell screams in agony. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Donnie bites back his own cry, convulsing on the ground as spasms race along his body, pain spider webbing from the center of his shell and crackling along like frost. It burns white, Donnie screwing his eyes shut in a futile attempt to dull it. He could hear Raph roaring again, a snarl that sounded like a cat echoing behind it as metal slammed against metal, and Mikey repeating his name in a shaky voice, replaced by a surprised yelp as Razhar laughs again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He has to move, he can't stay down here, he has to fight, his brothers needed him and- </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another stab of pain rips into Donnie, this time drawing a cry from deep in his chest. His hands curl into fists, trying to push himself up to his elbows as a new voice breaks through the white haze, thick with a French accent, "You're weaker than I remember, tortue, but I promise to make this quick," they spit out, the sound of metal creaking and grinding echoing their words as they drew closer. Donnie cracks his eyes open, gritting his teeth as something red stalks towards him, the thing looking disturbingly like the first mutated human they had seen- but with metal legs. The metal legs would explain how the kick hurt far more than it should, but Donnie had a hard time appreciating science when it was being used to kill him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey, fish sticks, up here!" Someone hollers, his attacker pausing his advance to look up as something green and glowing comes racing down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>April.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Donnie practically sags in relief as Casey takes April's place against Fishface, releasing an excited howl. April races back towards him to kneel down beside Donnie, green jacket thrown over blue pajamas as if she had just rolled out of bed to respond. A hand lands on his shoulder and despite how gentle April was trying to be, the contact started another spark of pain to flare down his body, "Don-" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Forget about me, help Mikey!" He pleads desperately, April's face appearing conflicted between helping in the fight and making sure Donnie was okay. Resolve crosses her face and she nods, leaving Donnie alone on the ground. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The pain is quickly replaced by pure frustration, Donnie wanting to scream in anger. He hated being a soft shell, he hated being weak, he hated the fact that all it took was one hit to his back to send him to the ground, he hated not being able to protect Mikey and Raph, he hated that Leo was missing, and most of all he hated his battle shell. It was his tech, he was proud of what he made but it was also bulky and ugly and put strain on his body and all it reminded him of was the fact he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>different</span>
  </em>
  <span> from his brothers and without it he was more vulnerable to attack. He wished he could destroy it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Destroy it.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Donnie's eyes flash open, pain and rage quickly squashed down as a plan jumps to his mind, gaze locking onto his torn battle shell within reach. The purple metal gleamed in the light, torn ends pointed up and glinting like sharp teeth, slashing into Donnie's palm as he grabbed the edge and pulled it towards him. He ignored the stinging pain, letting his hands work by themselves as he tuned out everything around him. Nimble fingers dance across the exposed wires, unplugging and replugging into ports as the pack sparks dangerously under his hands before powering back on, turning uncomfortably hot under Donnie's palms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Donnie looks towards Mikey and April's direction, his younger brother having his chain completely wrapped around Rahzar as the beast thrashes in his restraints jumping up to deliver a kick from above and send the creature to his knees. His arm was still bleeding profusely, and his movements appeared to be sluggish and slow as his landing was less than graceful. Mikey stumbles to his knees, but April is quick to cover him, bat releasing its green glow as she strikes him across the face. Casey was preoccupied by Fishface, a manic glint in her eyes as they traded blows, face spread in a gleeful grin. On his other side, Raph seemed to be standing his own ground against Tigerclaw, but Donnie could see that these opponents weren't like anyone that's fought before- they were trained and with Leo still missing, they couldn't portal away. He had to end this, and he had to end it now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The shell was now blistering hot against his palms, a violent white glow coming from the cracks as the power cell overloaded, the light shining through the thin smears of blood left behind by Donnie, "Casey, April, Mikey, move!" He yells, ignoring the sharp pain in his spine as he tosses the shell to their area of the battle field. It lands with a clatter between the two mutants, a flicker of understanding crossing the faces of his family as Casey pulls Mikey to her shoulders and the girls climb up the roof. Fishface and Rahzar both turn to the squealing shell as Donnie slides behind a dumpster, wincing as the shell explodes, silencing the surprised yells from the two mutants. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Donnie turns his attention back to Raph to see that the fight had led the pair into the middle of the street. Luckily enough, the area they were in was mainly abandoned, the buildings being old, worn down storage units and the streets vacant save for the odd transport truck. Raph had ditched his sais, now attempting to wrestle the tiger to the ground as his form flickered into two, three and back into one, face pinched in concentration as his ninpo danced around him. Something was interfering with their connections and it was clearly affecting their ninpo as well - another problem to add to Donnie's ever growing list. Tigerclaw was still faster than Raph however and managed to stay out of his reach, Donnie rolling for his staff and lifting it up, ignoring the violent screech of pain reverberating down his body. He grasped that thread connecting him to Raph with every bit of strength he had left, drawing ninpo from deep inside of himself to manifest one last shot. An opening shows itself as Tigerclaw takes another step back, Donnie releasing the energy to strike the tiger in the side, the mutant releasing a pained yowl. It wasn't strong enough to put him completely out of the fight, but it did give Raph the chance to knock the sword out of Tigerclaw's hand and deliver one solid punch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tigerclaw lands on his back a short distance away, Donnie falling back to the ground as he assumes the fight was over, looking over his shoulder to see the blast marks from his shell racing up the buildings and the two attackers completely gone, coloured smoke curling up to the sky. His family were also on their way back down, Donnie feeling a small flare of anger at the fact that Leo was still missing. They almost died! And Donnie was sure he hit the panic button multiple times- Mikey no doubt doing the same with their counterparts. Where did he vanish too and why'd he take so long to come back? His thoughts of frustration were broken however by Mikey yelling Raph's name in a panicked way, eyes wide as he jumped off of Casey's back, looking ready to run. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Donnie looks back over in time to see that Tigerclaw was still fighting, Raph holding him back the mutant with his teeth bared as they are forced to fight hand to hand. In their scuffle however, Raph failed to hear the sound of a transport truck, only turning to the noise as his form is washed in the blue and white light, face falling just as Donnie sees the front of the truck appear between the walls of the alley. It smashes through the spot Donnie had seen Raph and Tigerclaw, Donnie staring in disbelief as the transport blares past in a hulking mass of metal. He snaps out of his shock just in time to grab Mikey before his younger brother can run out into the street and get hit as well. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mikey screams out again, Raph's name coming out in a desperate plea to the stars as the two remaining turtles stare at the empty street.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I can not NOT mention Shredder at the docks, c'mon. Peak angst for Donnie</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Shattered</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is it, the last chapter of arc one! Arc two will be separate book released 2 weeks from now so keep an eye out for that 👀 I will be adding another chapter after this one which will include other my story suggestions while you wait and the official description of arc two.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Raph wasn't entirely sure as to </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> he missed the massive transport truck barreling towards them. Sorta seemed like something hard to ignore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But with his attention divided between keeping the tiger mutant away from his brothers while also checking on his brothers - was Mikey's arm bleeding? It looked bad, and why was Donnie on the ground? He isn't moving either, he has to save them, he has to protect him, why couldn't this stupid tiger just </span>
  <em>
    <span>stay down</span>
  </em>
  <span> - and wondering where Leo was and why he was taking so long to reappear, he accidently missed the sound of the engine and only noticed the blue trucks when his form was washed by the white light, the tiger withering under his arms pausing to turn as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Something rams into Raph with the force of an elephant and all he really has time to think is, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I failed to protect them</span>
  </em>
  <span>, before the white is replaced by a vibrant blue and then the black sky, a significantly smaller weight pressing down on his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey buddy, looks like I dropped in right on time." Leo jokes weakly, Raph tilting his head forward to see that his younger brother appeared uncharacteristically pale, red stripes dull against sweaty skin as a poor mimic of his confident smile is plastered on his face. "I guess we're even now from the roof incident, huh?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh," it takes a second for the situation to clue in, Raph's mind still thinking he had been hit by a transport. Once everything settles into place and he finally realizes that no, he wasn't dead and only suffering from a few small scratches, a wide grin spreads across his face, the type of airy and gleeful energy that follows almost dying taking over his body as he crushes Leo in a hug. "Leo!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo only has the room to pat Raph's elbow awkwardly, the hug pinning his arms to his side. "Sorry for being late. I couldn't save your new tiger friend though," he adds, Raph looking around to see that Leo had portalled them to a roof, the tiger mutant he was fighting nowhere to be seen, "think the transport truck took him out." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's fine, I'm just -" Raph's gratitude is cut off by Mikey yelling his name, heart clenching tightly at the despair in his voice. Raph releases Leo, leaning over the edge to see Mikey and Donnie below them, Donnie holding his youngest brother tightly in his arms as April and Casey stare horrified at the street. "I'm fine!" He calls down, all heads snapping up in his direction. He waves down cheerfully to indicate he is totally safe, pointing a thumb over his shoulder to where Leo was still resting, "Leo saved me!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It takes a second for the reality to sink in, Donnie sagging in relief as Mikey squirms from his grip and launches up the side of the building, crawling on Raph's shell as he seems to forget the large gash on his arm, "don't scare me like that, it's not funny! This is like the third time, you're making my figurative hairs grey." He whines loudly, drumming his hands on Raph's head nervously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph laughs, taking Mikey off his shoulders carefully and placing him down beside Leo who was already pulling out his first aid kit after seeing the blood coating Mikey's orange spots, "Sorry, last time I do that, I promise." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Pretty sure you said that last time," April points out, joining them on the roof with a yawn. Her bat was in a lazy grip, her signature green coat thrown over her blue pajamas like she had rolled out of bed after receiving Donnie's call. Casey was a bit more dressed for the occasion, giving Raph a relieved smile after seeing he was all in one piece. Donnie comes up a little bit slower, Raph leaning over to see why his battle shell was missing. However, the soft shell angles away, keeping his back hidden from everyone's prying eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Where were you?" Donnie suddenly asks as Leo wraps up Mikey's gash, muttering something to himself about stitches. Raph realizes that ask was the wrong word - Donnie </span>
  <em>
    <span>demanded</span>
  </em>
  <span> it, a tone in his voice that Raph had only ever heard once, back during the lair games. A flicker of recognition crosses Mikey's face as well, as if he had heard that specific tone before and he sends Raph a worried look. Donnie's face was blank however, emotions out of reach as his eyes followed Leo's slightly shaking hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A pained gasp comes from Mikey as Leo ties the bandage, the medic pressing his features thin at the sound, torn between being the older brother and being the doctor. Leo's hand passes the scratch on Mikey's plastron and the box shell winces, Leo looking even more conflicted, "It's a scratch, nothing went through. I'll clean and bandage it when we get back as a precaution for infection." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Leo, </span>
  <em>
    <span>where were you</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Donnie repeats a bit more forcefully, shying away from April's touch. His shell finally comes into view, a small dent in the center. Raph is ready to tear the limbs off the mutant when he sees the damage, but Donnie quickly assures him that Fishface was destroyed by his battle shell and his shell would heal over time. Raph knew that wasn't entirely true - a caved shell could lead to blood clots and internal injuries, but it wasn't deep enough for them to jump into panic mode. Leo would keep an eye on it and fix it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Like he did the last time Donnie had his shell torn into. Raph had caught him staring at his bloody hands after spending two hours stitching and bandaging the ruined shell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I was just checking in on our counterparts," Leo finally responds, looking over his shoulder to Casey, "the Foot generals were gone by the time I appeared, they must have been spooked off." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Casey shrugs, hockey stick resting on her shoulders as she places her free hand on her waist. Raph was relieved to know that she had arrived just in time to help with the other two mutants, dressed in her usual Foot attire. He assumed she had arrived from a training of sorts - April had mentioned them training a select few to be Elite Foot Ninjas and it was probably one of those nights. "We'll find them again. Sounds like a good excuse for a mission, I found two more possible candidates and they need something to test their skills."  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo stands up from the spot he was treating Mikey, joints popping loudly as he winces. Some colour had returned to his face, but Raph was still worried about what had made the usually cool brother so rattled. He reaches out to Donnie to inspect his shell, but the soft shell takes a step away from Leo, a frown on his face as he looks down at the ground, grip on his staff tightening until his knuckles turn white, "why'd you take so long to come back? The panic button was on the whole time, I sent you </span>
  <em>
    <span>alerts</span>
  </em>
  <span>, why were you gone for so </span>
  <em>
    <span>long</span>
  </em>
  <span>." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo's face falls, shifting between pained and worry as he too seems to pick up on Donnie's tone. His hands drop back down to his side before lifting up again hesitantly, palms facing upwards in a calming way, "Donnie, I'm-" Leo suddenly flinches, as if remembering something unpleasant before rethinking his words, "I just got distracted," he says instead, Donnie's face not changing from his blank expression, "but I came back." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You were... </span>
  <em>
    <span>distracted</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" Donnie echoes, words twisted like his features, "you were distracted?! By- by what?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I- It was an accident, there was-" Leo pauses again, eyes dropping down to his hands that still had the barest hint of a tremor, "I didn't mean to be gone for so long-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It was an </span>
  <em>
    <span>accident</span>
  </em>
  <span>?! Look at Mikey's arm, Leonardo! Raph almost got hit by a transport truck, he could've died, what if you were even a second late?! What type of leader ditches his team to run off on his own, what type of </span>
  <em>
    <span>brother</span>
  </em>
  <span> does that? You're still immature and conceited and everything has to be about you, you should never have been made leader!" Donnie suddenly explodes, so many emotions crossing Leo's face that Raph couldn't keep up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo seems to settle on anger, face pinching together to mirror Donnie's furious expression, "Are you kidding me, Donnie?! I don't want to be leader, I never fucking did! It was indubitably a mistake on dad's part, I don't know what made him think it was a good idea, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I'm</span>
  </em>
  <span> not good enough! I didn't mean to take so long coming back, something came up-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What came up? What was so much more important than your own fucking family?! Do you not realize how terrifying it is to be separated from each other-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Of course I do!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't think you do because you don't seem to care!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't care?! You're the one who is so detached from your own fucking emotions that you hardly show any around us?!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're an asshole Leonardo! Everything has to be about you-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their voices overlap in their frustrations, Raph not sure what to do in the situation. Sure, they've argued before, but never to this extreme, to the point where Donnie looked like he was on the verge of tears, body shaking with unreleased emotions while every muscle in Leo's body was strained, as if he was holding himself back. Was Raph supposed to intervene? Stop them? That was what brothers do right? He had to stop them, but his legs wouldn't move, his hands firmly by his side as his eyes darted between his arguing brothers uncertainly. It's never been this bad, they've never tipped past this point. This couldn't be solved by a Jupiter Jim marathon, or a hug, they were saying so many nasty things that would hover over them all for days and- </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And what was he supposed to do? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey seems to break out of his shock first, reaching out with his hands to try to comfort one of his brothers with an uneasy smile, but Raph could tell that he wasn't sure who he was supposed to go to, "Can we stop for a second and-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shut up, Mikey!" They snap at the same time, Mikey's expression falling so fast that it makes Raph's heart ache. The pair return to fighting like nothing had happened, Mikey's hands slowly lowering back down to his sides. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's it!" Raph finally interrupts, stepping between the two and separating them. Forget looking to comfort them, they had gone too far now and dragged Mikey into the fight. That wasn't fair of them to do, he was just trying to help. However, he misjudged his strength with separating them and both boys fell to the ground, Leo landing with a startled oof and furious expression dropping as the realization of what happened catches up to him, face switching to horrified. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shit, Mikey, I-'' Leo starts, but his words are cut off by Donnie releasing a pained scream, Raph's blood turning to ice as he spins around to see him curled up on his side, face twisted and eyes screwed shut as he presses against the ground, the dent on his shell shifting to a paler green. The scars from Shredder's claws were a white against his bare back, the notches from when Raph had to rip his shell off standing out in the pale moonlight. Raph watches horrified at the scars reopen, blood oozing out and pooling around Donnie's slumped form- </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh my God, Donnie!" April exclaims, dropping down beside him. She places a hand against his shoulder, but Donnie shies away from her touch again, teeth gritted against the pain, "we have to get back to the lair!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Donnie, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" Raph starts, anxiety and guilt welling up inside of him, but his words are cut off by Donnie pushing himself up with shaking arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm fine," he snaps, but there was less of a bite to his words, Donnie sighing loudly and pinching between his eyes, "I'm fine," he repeats after noticing that Raph's expression had not changed, "it was an accident Raph, don't worry," he promises, dropping his hand down, "but going to the lair isn't that bad of an idea, if Leo could be oh so kind and portal us home." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph pauses, still feeling that guilt swirling dangerously in his stomach. He had </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt</span>
  </em>
  <span> Donnie and it didn't matter if it was by accident, he still did it and it was all his fault. Raph hears that choked sound Donnie had made after he pulled off his battle shell, a mix of relief and agony released in one breath before he collapsed on the table. He didn't make that sound this time, but that pained scream he had realized after falling back on his shell was once again Raph's fault. Fishface never would've landed that hit if Raph had done a better job protecting them all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he could deal with that situation back at the lair. "Right, okay. Leo?" No response comes from the slider, not even the familiar whoosh of a portal, "Leo?" Raph repeats a bit more hesitantly, turning to see his younger brother staring off at something in the distance, back of his shell to Raph. He had one hand on Mikey's shoulder, as if in the middle of apologizing, but was cut off suddenly. Mikey appeared to be anxious, eyes darting between Leo and Raph as his hands wringed nervously, shifting his weight from foot to foot, "Leo, are you okay?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, just give me a second," he replies, but his voice sounded distant, like he was speaking from miles away. His hand drops from Mikey's shoulder and he walks towards the edge of the roof, but Raph can see in his steps that they were unfocused and uneasy, the shake back in his hands as he leans over to look down at the alley. Raph wasn't sure what exactly he was looking for- the mutants were gone and the only evidence something had happened were the streaks of ash from Donnie's battle shell staining the sides of the buildings. His head turns left and right, and when he turns back around, Raph can recognise the uneasy expression pinched on Leo's face, the same look he had when they first met Big Mama, "nevermind, I'm just... hearing things I guess," he mutters making his way back to the group. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph frowns at that, ready to ask him to clarify what </span>
  <em>
    <span>hearing things</span>
  </em>
  <span> means, but a flash of bright light momentarily blinds him, Raph blinking furiously to clear his vision and trying to rub the spots away. His nerves jump on high alert, alarm bells ringing off about </span>
  <em>
    <span>danger</span>
  </em>
  <span> as he frantically looks around, eyes widening when he sees an armoured form standing behind Leo, his younger brother seizing up as he too senses the unwanted visitor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next set of events seem to happen in slow motion, Raph not fast enough, never fast enough, to save Leo as he turns to face the person, hands reaching up for his katanas. He can hear many voices shouting in alarm as he launches forwards, the person arching his gauntlets up and down across Leo's plastron, a spray of blood following as Leo staggers backwards, falling to the ground as the figure strikes his gauntlet through Leo's right knee. Leo doesn't respond in a way Raph expects, just releasing a surprised, but dull </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh</span>
  </em>
  <span>, as a large pool of blood begins to form around his leg. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph snarls, making eye contact with the metal demon. Eyes peer out from between the slits, one pure white and the other full of hate and rage. He ducks underneath Raph's fist, and the hand still deep in Leo's knee- God, there was so much blood and Raph was stepping in it and it was warm under his feet and Leo didn't even look like he was in pain, just staring blankly at where metal met flesh, and was that </span>
  <em>
    <span>bone</span>
  </em>
  <span>?- flew backwards and Leo vanished, right as Raph drove his sais downwards on the attacker. They phase right through, the weapons digging into the ground to his knuckles and cracking the concrete as the person turns into smoke, Raph's hands splitting open from the force of driving into the roof. Glass shatters from somewhere below him, Raph looking around wildly for the attacker and Leo. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His blood mixes with his younger brother's, staining the wraps around his hands as he ditches his sais to lean over the edge. "Leo?!" He calls out, searching desperately for any sign of his blue banded brother. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He spies the orange tails of Michelangelo instead, the turtle resting on a window sill with his shell to Raph, looking inside the building with shattered glass sprinkling the ground and glinting like shark teeth in the frame. A few specks of blood stain the glass and drip down, Michelangelo twisting to look up at them all. Raph could see a white bandage wrapped against his shin, right below his knee as he waves at them all on the roof, "Hey guys, look like you had a rough night," he attempts to joke, showing that smile Mikey wears right before delivering bad news, like the time he ate Raph's leftovers by accident, "Don caught Leo, but uh... I think it's time we head back. He doesn't look that good." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>《{•}》</b>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo shuffles through the freezer drawer some more, frowning when all he finds are popsicle boxes and ice cream. Did they really not have any ice packs or even a bag of peas? Or... any frozen fruit and vegetables for that matter. He knew that Mikey cooked based on the supper he made - Jesus, when was the last time his family cooked a meal? Usually they just fed themselves now - so they must have some normal frozen food. He shuts the freezer with a frustrated sigh, straightening up and leaning against the counter when his world spins, moving a bit too quickly for his concussion's liking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Concussions weren't something new to Leonardo or any of his brothers to be honest. With the occupation they have found themselves in, Leonardo couldn't count how many times he's been diagnosed with a brain injury of some sorts. Even as kids before they started fighting aliens and mutants, they had all suffered their fair share of bumps on the head. Donatello nearly had an aneurysm after Michelangelo's first big hit as a 10 year old, the youngest brother's pupils reacting in a way that was apparently awful for humans. Michelangelo was terribly sick that night, Donatello refusing to leave his side, but by the following morning he was back to his usual bouncy self, jumping on Raphael all over again despite the injury he received from last time. After that, Donatello had tested all their injuries and learned that they had higher durability and healing compared to humans, a benefit from the mutagen. Over the years however, that heightened healing had weakened and now the effects of a concussion were a lot more prominent than Leonardo liked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I hate getting older," Raphael states dryly from his spot on the raggedy couch. The lights in the lair were off except for a single strand of Christmas lights curling along the cracks on the ceiling. Leonardo had originally tried to find the light switch, but it seemed like the whole place ran on fairy lights and strands. So they were forced to sit in the dark, which wasn't a bad thing with his head injury. Raphael was probably mulling over the same thoughts as Leonardo, glaring at his elevated foot like it was some enemy he was supposed to battle, "we're getting weaker, aren't we?" The light casted a shadow across his face that darkened his features and made his expression slightly more menacing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo sighs again, opting instead to run a cloth under ice cold water. Not the most effective, but it should help enough to ease Raphael's twisted ankle. "Don thinks so. We are currently the oldest mutants, maybe there's some... expiration date on our abilities. Mutagen no longer 100% effective or something." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So we have a shelf life?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"This seems like a Donnie question," Leonardo mutters, headache increasing as Raphael forces him into an existential crisis. He shuts the tap off after the rag is thoroughly wet and cold in his hands, wringing it out and joining Raphael back on the couch. He lays it across the swollen appendage, being careful not to jostle Raphael too much when he sits down. His brother grunts in thanks, leaning heavily against the couch with his arms crossed. His emerald eyes were narrowed in on his foot, brow ridges stitched tightly together to the point his red mask wrinkles. Leonardo didn't have to ask to know that something was bothering him, and it wasn't them getting weaker. However, Raphael usually internalized all his issues and Leonardo knew that pushing him would only make it worse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I hate them." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Or, maybe not. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo rests his head against his hand, elbow pressing down on the armrest with the weight. His eyes slide back over to Raphael, his younger brother's expression shifting from anger to sadness, features still tightly pressed together, but eyes growing more distant as his glare focuses on something not real, "they're kids, you can't be angry at them for acting like they're supposed to." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Not- not that. I thought it was that," he explains, Leonardo wondering why he was suddenly opening up. Was this Raph taking over Raphael's subconscious, like how he suddenly grew a fear of heights? Was the universe doing some sort of divine intervention to make Raphael less defensive? Was it that bad of a thing? They were all holding in a lot of dark shadows, and this place was just so bright. Maybe it was time to let it out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Then what is it?" Leonardo asks hesitantly when Raphael doesn't continue, arms still crossed tightly over his plastron. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The frown on Raphael's face deepens, shoulders drawing up higher as his walls slowly build back up, Leonardo looking away to give him privacy. The lair was disturbingly quiet with everyone else out, only the distant hum of the subway station and cars rumbling above them. Even back home there would be the sound of Donatello's lab working at a feverish pace and a few rare moments that the tv would flare up with life before shutting back down. Now that Leonardo was forced to sit there and stare at the silence, he realized how lonely it felt.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mikey's happy here," Raphael suddenly continues, Leonardo still facing the black TV in front of them. His reflection stared back, but it looked like a shell and less like a person, eyes hollow and limbs appearing to be heavy and weighed down. Leonardo averts his gaze as Raphael explains more, "not their Mikey, Michelangelo. Our Mikey. He should be happy with us and he's not. And you know. That sucks." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I'm so tired.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo closes his eyes, not sure how to respond to Raphael's concern. He was starting to see that they were all clogged up inside, months worth of pain building up after Splinter and Shredder and he was terrified of what would happen when they finally let it all drop. Even now he could tell that Raphael was still holding something back, thinking over his words carefully so that all he gives up are a few chips from his wall. There were still so many bricks between them however, and Leonardo knew that his wouldn't come down any easier. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael doesn't say anything else and Leonardo shifts when he realizes that it was his turn to say something. Nothing seems to come to mind however, he couldn't lie to Raphael. This wasn't like the tooth fairy or leprechauns where it was a safe white lie to make his brothers happy, this was something big and ugly and it was a truth that had to be said. Michelangelo </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> happier here with their counterparts, not with them, and Leonardo knew he was at fault for that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"... am I a bad brother?" He finds himself asking, not sure if he wanted his reflection to answer or Raphael. Before either can speak, the lights flick on, Leonardo snapping awake with his hands poised over his hilts. He can feel Raphael shifting up as well, but he falls back down with a loud curse, glowering down at his ankle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Splinter stands in the doorway of his room, finger over the switch as he narrows his eyes at the two boys in the living room, a perpexel look over his features. Leonardo turns away from the lights with a grimace, slowly lowering himself back down after convincing himself there wasn't actual danger. His body was still coiled tightly though, despite the fact he was safe. Although, now that he thinks about it, he was never really in 'safe' mode anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The lights flick back off, Leonardo blinking to clear the stars as he hears the short and quick steps of Splinter, the rat humming a little tune to himself as he wanders into the kitchen, "head injuries are never fun. Neither are foot, however you are the two I was expecting to see last, not first." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo shares a look with Raphael, the pair having a silent conversation as Splinter continues his little song, joined by the clicking of a stove turning on and something being placed on the elements. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What do we say? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I don't know, you're the leader, you figure it out. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just because I'm leader doesn't mean I'm good at small talk. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It's a rat, talk about cheese. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Are you serious. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You are very different from my sons," Splinter interrupts from his spot in the kitchen, the sound of cupboards opening and things shifting indicating that he was looking for something, "almost too quiet. They never stop talking, and as annoying as that is during my commercials, it is good to know they are safe." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>See, he thinks they're annoying too.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael releases a short howl as Leonardo punches his foot, the red banded turtle scowling deeply as he pulls his knee to his chest and rubs the joint. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ah, nevermind. There are my sons," Splinter muses, Raphael's face suddenly falling at his words. Leonardo feels his own heart drop as well, twisting to see that Splinter had placed a kettle on the stove and was waiting patiently for it to heat up, "I assume you two drink tea. Red and Orange are fans of hot chocolate, but I feel like that's too young for you boys." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>My sons</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo knew that those words weren't aimed at them- they weren't his sons, he wasn't their father- but it still hurt to hear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There are my sons.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael coughs loudly, angling his head towards Splinter as Leonardo delivers a hit to his non-injured foot this time. Of course he was making him deal with the situation. Raphael owes him one. "We're sorry, Sensei, we didn't-" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sensei?" Splinter interrupts, the whistle of the kettle cutting through the tension as he pulls it off the stove, "We are at home, not training. Why are you calling me Sensei?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I-," Leonardo pauses, not sure what to say next. Of course they called their father </span>
  <em>
    <span>father</span>
  </em>
  <span> sometimes, or dad or another term of endearment depending on the mood, but Sensei was usually the first word to cross Leonardo's mind when thinking of Splinter. It wasn't a bad thing- he knew he was loved as a son and he loved his father as a parent- but it was just a respect thing they were taught. To hear that this Splinter preferred to not be called Sensei was... strange. Out of place. Another thing that made Leonardo's perception of the world tilt dangerously as he's forced to question what's better and what's worse. "We... We just called our father Sensei a lot. Force of habit. Do your sons not call you Sensei?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"During training, yes. When I'm scolding Blue he sometimes calls me that, but I'm sure it's sarcasm," Splinter explains, turning off the stove once the kettle releases a high whistle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Leo... talks back to you?" Raphael echoes, eyes slowly growing bright as he turns to Leonardo with a wide grin, "Splinter Jr talks back to </span>
  <em>
    <span>Splinter</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Okay, well now I've got to see that." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Raph," Leonardo warns sourly, but even he had a hard time imagining himself speaking back to his father. That was just blatant disrespect. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"As much as I don't enjoy having my son argue with me, he does it to protect his siblings," Splinter hums, walking over with a tray and three steaming mugs, "I may think I know best, but sometimes I'm wrong, and Blue is there to correct me. If he thinks what I want is unsafe or unfair, he does not hesitate to defend his siblings." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No matter what you have to sacrifice.  </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Or who.</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He would sacrifice himself long before he would let anything happen to his siblings, but he was sure when his father said that statement, his family was exempt from that. He would never sacrifice his brothers, regardless of what the world depends of them, but did he not risk all their lives to get the black hole generator? Would it not have been easier or safer to just... hide on one of those planets? They could have blended in, lived lives on the surface. They had done so much, lost so much, just for the world to never know they existed. Their sacrifices have all gone unnoticed, not a single thanks from the ones they saved. He knew the limitations of his brothers, he knew what they could defeat, but... he was never really sure, was he? One mistake and he could lose everything he cared about. It wasn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>fair</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but the world didn't care about </span>
  <em>
    <span>fair</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All it wanted to do was hurt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the family here didn't hurt, not like them. What should he have done differently to give his family a chance at this happiness? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He still thinks he's a bad brother though," Splinter continues, Leonardo breaking from his thoughts to see the small rat presenting him and Raphael with tea, "so much self-doubt is not good for one person to shoulder, I wish he was not so stubborn and more willing to talk. He is not a bad brother, and he is deserving of love, whether he realizes it or not." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo slowly accepts the tea, glimpsing downwards at the rippling water to see his distorted reflection. It shimmers and shifts, but his expression was the same as it was on the screen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weary and tired. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Thank you," he says, looking up to see Splinter giving him a warm smile. It reminded him of the same expression his father made during their conversation about worth. He had told Leonardo how proud he was of all of them, regardless of what the future may hold for the family. Even if Leonardo wanted to hide, to leave behind the world that forced them into the shadows, he knew his family would always come back. Every single time. Earth may not accept them, but it was still their home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael echoes his gratitude. Leonardo wasn't sure if Splinter intended to speak about Leo's doubt because he overheard Leonardo's own concerns or if it was just a coincidence they had the same thought. He has a feeling it was the former, their father always seemed to know exactly what to say to ease any nasty thoughts plaguing his sons. It was either that dad instinct or maybe they just had super hearing being mutated rats, but either way Leonardo was always grateful for whatever lesson would be given his way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Okay, now be quiet, it's time for my commercials," Splinter concludes, scrambling up his seat and landing on it with a crack from his back, "it's prime time, baby." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael releases a long sigh when the TV flicks on, blasting some news about a treadmill machine and shrimp. "So different yet so similar," he mutters, "he gave me chamomile." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo makes a face, turning to Raphael with a confused expression, "Okay, and? I got mint." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That was sensei's old passive aggressive way of telling me to calm the fuck down," Raphael reminds him, Leonardo smiling softly at all the times their father would shove a mug in Raphael's hands when he got a bit too rowdy. He always found it interesting how his father was able to connect tea with certain moods or lessons, another way of communication to express his love and care for them. Mint was Leonardo's favourite and he usually found a cup of it waiting for him during times of stress or doubt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Splinter's ears twitch, form shadowed from the large screen in front of them as he slightly turns his head to the door, "Raphael?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael stiffens, likely thinking he was in trouble, "Uh, sorry, the tea is great-" he pauses however as the noise that caught Splinter's attention finally reaches a volume the turtle's can hear, "is that-?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Dad!" Raph yells loudly, bursting into the lair. His voice was filled with panic, eyes blown wide as he looked around wildly. The shifting colours of the screen wash over his form and reflect off of the blood coating his yellow plastron. He was holding someone in his arms, and it took a while for Leonardo to recognize the red stripes amongst the layer of blood across Leo's face. The slider's eyes were closed and Raph's arms made it hard to see if he was even breathing, but Leonardo can see the way his right leg hung awkwardly from the tight hold, white bone standing out starkly against green skin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo's hand instantly drops to his knee as an ache suddenly flares up. He shares a worried glance with Raphael, his younger brother appearing to be as equally horrified. Splinter was already off his seat and up the stairs to the second floor, Raph hurrying after him. Donnie was hot on his heels, Leonardo's eyes fell on a large dent on his shell and three long scars raking down from his shoulder to hip, but he's stopped by Donatello, Leonardo's eyes growing wide as the amount of lacerations and blood caked on Donatello as well. They share a quick conversation, Donnie's hands shaking as he argues with Donatello quietly over something. Leonardo can't hear what exactly they're saying, but Donatello had a rare expression of open concern, his sharp edges softened as he responded to whatever Donnie had said. April joins in, seeming to agree with </span>
  <em>
    <span>Donatello</span>
  </em>
  <span> as she places a hand on Donnie's shoulder, also expressing her own concern. It takes a second before Donnie freezes, hands curling up into his chest as Donatello follows after Raph and Leo. April says something else, brows drawn tightly together, and Donnie only nods, April placing a hand on his cheek with a soft smile before vanishing upstairs as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leonardo turns back to the door to see both Mikey's standing in the opening, Mikey's eyes darting around wildly as he doesn't seem to know where or who to focus on. Michelangelo seemed to only have eyes for Mikey however, concern clear on his face as his fingers drum nervously against each other. Someone else appears in the frame, a woman with a shaved head who rests her hand on Mikey's shoulder, the boxshell's face crumpling up suddenly at the contact. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mikey?" Leonardo calls hesitantly, Michelangelo turning to face his older brother. The raw expression of terror on Michelangelo's face sends a bolt of ice up Leonardo's spine, "Otōto? What happened?" Leonardo asks again, switching to their mother tongue as he knows it usually provides comfort to his siblings. It doesn't seem to work this time, Michelangelo's face still remaining in that horrified expression. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"They fought...," Michelangelo pauses, gaze briefly falling down to Mikey before coming back up, "</span>
  <em>
    <span>our</span>
  </em>
  <span> bad guys are here. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"They fought Shredder." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>End of Arc One</b>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Arc Two coming: May 14</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Tattered Remains</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It's been a wild ride and thank you so much for everyone who stuck it out. From my discord server that gave me the funniest chapter titles to the amazing people who leave comments and any and all readers that have enjoyed this story. I am so happy to have started this journey and I can't wait to complete it with you all. Drink some water and have a fantastic day!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Bonus Chapter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This chapter includes:<br/>- official Tattered Remains summary<br/>- Suggested readings<br/>- playlist</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>Tattered Remains</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>Coming May 14</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>The last thing Leonardo would <em> ever </em> want to do is lose any of his brothers. He would sacrifice himself long before he let's a single one of them be harmed. </p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately, their responsibilities made that a very hard promise to keep. At some point a line between leader and brother had to be drawn and despite how much he wanted to stay on the latter side, sometimes hard decisions had to be made. </p><p> </p><p>But his brothers will always <em> always </em> come first. </p><p> </p><p>However even the greatest leaders and brothers can make mistakes, and after losing their father and letting the pain of their past fester within their relationships, Leonardo found his brothers slipping away. </p><p> </p><p>And then they found themselves slipping into an entirely new universe - a universe where they weren't hurting and their counterparts seemed to have a bond far stronger than their own and Leonardo found himself hurting in a way he didn't know possible. He just wanted to get his family home and try to heal what was crumbling. </p><p> </p><p>Until Shredder appeared. And Rahzar, and Tigerclaw and other enemies that did not belong here. When one member falls victim to an incident from his past, the leader side of him is forced to step up and prepare for the worst. </p><p> </p><p>And he was scared to see what would remain in the end. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>Suggested Stories while you wait</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>Title: Deadweight </p><p>Author: MorikoTheHalfAngel</p><p>Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30416832/chapters/74991873</p><p>Universe: 2012</p><p>One of the things about 2012 that I really wish they explored more were the <em> three months </em> Leo spent in the coma and the healing that came afterwards. Since it was a kids show, of course they had to gloss over things and get back to the action, but this story satisfies that missing piece. Also, I'm a mess for angst, like the sadder the better and this fic is PUMPED with angst. I literally read it like three times now, that's how much I love it AND it's just so well written in general. Moriko, I love you for creating this fic and destroying my heart with every update. </p><p> </p><p>Title: Change of Perspective </p><p>Author: characcoon</p><p>Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30334833?view_full_work=true</p><p>Universe: 2018</p><p>THIS STORY GOT LOCKED WHICH IS A <em> CRIME </em> . I was hooked on the first chapter and the characterization of the Rise boys is <em> spot on </em>, I genuinely believe that characcoon is secretly a writer for the show, that's how perfect the boys are. Donnie's feral energy is right on the nose. It's got mystic magic, family relationships, and a ton of thought and love PLEASE read it when it unlocks. </p><p> </p><p>Title: Nothing Without Them </p><p>Author: CaptainLlewellyn </p><p>Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30708557/chapters/75781130 </p><p>Universe: 2018/Rise</p><p>So an idea I was mulling over before writing this story was making Leo being leader a massive conflict, but I realized that would be WAY too much for one story when I already have the 2012 guys going through their own issues. This book however <em> does </em> go down the route that I think is more believable, it explores Leo's internal conflict with being the leader and the disruption in the family relationships from the sudden change following the defeat of Shredder. It's well written and deeply explores the characters and their emotions and well worth the read, but it does have mature content as it handles mental health issues. So watch the tags to make sure it's safe for you to read. </p><p> </p><p>Title: Bro, You Literally got Hit by a Bus</p><p>Author: emmals16</p><p>Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27079585/chapters/66119587 </p><p>Universe: Open interpretation, but 2003/2012 inspired</p><p>As I mentioned, and if you couldn't tell by my writing, I am a sucker for whump/angst and this story is FULL of it. We get comfort, of course, but it's just all so beautifully written AND it's Leo-Mikey centric and that brotherly relationship never gets old, I love the eldest and youngest relationship. Also??? Everything is medically accurate so as a paramedic student, I am loving it. </p><p> </p><p>Title: Dagger From the Mirror </p><p>Author: TotallyNotaSecretA03Account</p><p>Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29712687/chapters/73070430</p><p>Universe: 2012 and 2018 crossover</p><p>SHUT UP, THIS IS THE GREATEST CROSSOVER FIC <em> EVER </em> AND I WILL DIE ON THAT HILL. First of all, it's such a unique take on the crossover trope and I have lost my mind every single chapter. This is NOTHING like any crossover you have read in the past and it is 100% worth the read. I'm only halfways done because college is a nightmare, but I have loved every word and have been hooked since day one. Also the fights are just IMMACULATE. Read this fic before I bite your ankles. </p><p> </p><p>Title: Atlas </p><p>Author: boshinya</p><p>Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27140311/chapters/66278335 </p><p>Universe: 2003/2012 inspired</p><p>This fic means the world to me and I can NEVER suggest it enough, it's the perfect mix of angst, fluff, comfort, understanding, growth, brotherly relationships, I swear this is a work of art. I've lost track of how many times I have read it, but I can tell you that I read it when I'm sad or anxious which is 98% of the time because of school. The relationships and conflicts the characters face are so beautifully written and I cry everytime because healthy family relationships make me projectile sob. </p><p> </p><p>Title: shellshocked </p><p>Author: redhairedmuses</p><p>Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29140815 </p><p>Universe: 2018</p><p>Have you ever read a fic that you have a massive love/hate relationship with? Yeah, this is mine. I adore this story with my whole heart but it hurts SO MUCH. And it has art so like ???? Perfection. </p><p> </p><p>Title: Monsters Among Us</p><p>Author: DanzinoraSwitch</p><p>Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26310940/chapters/64065445 </p><p>Universe: 2018</p><p>WHEN I TELL YOU THIS FIC HAS EVERYTHING, I MEAN IT. I am so excited to see where it goes, and everything is wonderfully written and I genuinely could gush about this fic for hours. </p><p> </p><p>Title: With a Touch of Blue </p><p>Author: Windify </p><p>Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28790730/chapters/70603617</p><p>Universe: 2003</p><p>I can describe this fic in four letters: P A I N. Leo-Centric angst and fluffy healing, everything you need to have a proper sob fest at 2 am after a rough midterm. Learned that from experience. </p><p> </p><p>Title: Drowning </p><p>Author: CharmyWizard</p><p>Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29927628/chapters/73662579</p><p>Universe: 2018</p><p>There's not many chapters out but by golly gosh is it a fantastic read. The first few chapters have me HOOKED and I am very excited to see how the story evolves, also the Donnie and Leo interactions are PERFECT. </p><p> </p><p>Title: Solitude </p><p>Author: azure_frost</p><p>Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29029464?view_full_work=true</p><p>Universe: original </p><p>SHUT UP I'M PROMOTING MY AU AGAIN. *slaps my version of the four turtles* These bad boys can fit so much trauma and angst. Also here they are as tots in sweaters </p><p>
  
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>And then them meeting their species</p><p>
  
</p><p>Leo/Leatherback Sea Turtle</p><p>
  
</p><p>Mikey/Hawksbill Sea Turtle</p><p>
  
</p><p>Donnie/Ringed-Map Turtle</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Raph/Mata Mata turtle and Salt water crocodile hybrid. He does not have a fun time learning about that little fact</p><p>art by https://bantamblip.tumblr.com/ </p><p>Give her art love or suffer the consequences &gt;:(</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>Frayed Knots Playlist</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <em> Songs that I had on repeat during specific scenes  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Eleanor Rigby × The Beatles </em>
</p><p>Okay so like in the beginning I said that this song inspired the fic. It 100% did, everyone say thanks to the Beatles because if it wasn't for them, I would have never written this story. Anyways, the first scene it kinda clues in with would be chapter two, when everyone is comparing each other and no one is having a good time lol </p><p> </p><p><em> Rhinestone Eyes × Gorillaz </em> </p><p>This played A LOT during the writing of the story. It had the proper vibes for the first chapter, when the portal was getting destroyed only for the Rise guys to find the 2012 guys on the floor, and also fit the fights near the end. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Wundatrip × Duskus </em>
</p><p>This song was looping while writing the 2012 V Big Mama/Draxum fight, especially with the beginning part matching up with Draxum's reveal at the end of chapter 10. I wanted to give off the vibe from the scene during <em>Insane in the Mama Train</em> where Draxum ambushes the 2018 guys and then again when Donatello clues in on Michelangelo losing memories and being 13 again.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Welcome Home × Radical Face </em>
</p><p>You know that one second of comfort I gave during this fic with Michelangelo and Leonardo healing? Yeah, this song was playing. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Home × Edith Whiskers </em>
</p><p>Okay this song plays a lot in upcoming chapters *cough* arc two *cough* but it did help with writing the Leonardo, Raphael, and Splinter conversation, which was like the calm before the shit tornado hit with Leo lol </p><p> </p><p><em> Bounce Back × LIONAIRE </em> </p><p>Yeah, so that fight with Leo and Shredder? Pretty anticlimactic in comparison to other stuff, but this song was definitely a bop that helped with getting the scene wrapped up. 1:00-1:20 is the best part. Kinda sucks Shredder came back to rock Leo's shit whoops </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> The Untold × Secession Studios </em>
</p><p>2018 V 2012 villains fight, especially when the beat drops. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Intro III × NF </em>
</p><p>This song 100% embodies the Donnies in this arc because you know. An immovable object meets an unstoppable force or something like that. Idk why I thought they would get along when I first started writing, literally both of them have homicidal tendencies.  </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please, please PLEASE give all these amazing authors and books a chance, this fandom is so talented, it's unreal. And I can not thank all you readers enough for the comments and support, it means the world to me! Drink water, eat some food, and we'll be back soon :)</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The full playlist that inspired this fic can be found on my spotify account romeo.foxtrot as well as playlists for different TMNT characters because I was on a tmnt brainrot for a while. Comments/kudos are always loved! Until next time!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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